Bumble Bears
You’re never too young to make a difference; Campbell Remess is proof of that. At the age of just nine he decided that he could do something kind for kids in hospital by making them presents. Now, three years later he has his own charity called Project 365 By Campbell and makes a teddy bear a day for others.
We had a chat to Campbell about his amazing project…
What inspired your first charity bear?
On Christmas Eve I wanted to surprise kids in hospital with presents. Mum and dad said it would be too expensive so I decided to make them.
How did you learn to make the teddy bears?
I first started making balls and blankets and then I googled patterns for bears and found one, it was really hard but I just practiced.
How long does it take to make a single bear?
The first bear took 5 hours but now it takes me about an hour.
What is Project 365?
When I started making gifts I asked mum how many gifts I would have if I made one a day for a full year and it was 365 so I called my project Project 365 By Campbell.
Do you ever get tired of making bears?
I never get tired of it because every bear is different, every face is different and each bear has a different story so each bear gets more exciting.
Can you tell us about the Christmas Bears?
I make bears through the year and send them to ambulances and the hospital just before Christmas so that they can give them out at Christmas time.
How has your work making teddy bears changed the way you see the world?
I see a lot of sadness, illness and hurting people but when I send them a bear it makes it better, not all better but it makes it better for a bit and they feel better inside. I also see a lot of other people being kind; everyone just wants to live in a kind world. There are just a few people that get a bit lost and hurt people instead. It's up to good people to help take care of everyone.
To get behind Campbell’s work, support or donate teddy bear making materials head over to www.project365.org
