FAMILIES, friends and teddy bears alike gathered for a bear-tastic afternoon as Emmaus Mossley celebrated its beloved mascot Bear’s fourth birthday in the much loved style of a Teddy Bears’ Picnic.
The free event welcomed visitors of all ages, with guests encouraged to bring along their favourite teddy bear and a snack to enjoy during the birthday celebrations.
While the annual Teddy Bears’ Picnic has become a firm favourite in the Emmaus calendar, each year comes with a new twist. This year’s celebration went wild with a colourful jungle theme.
The team transformed the space using handmade rag bunting crafted from recycled fabric scraps, while generously donated palm trees created the perfect tropical backdrop.
One of the day’s biggest highlights came thanks to Chester Zoo, which donated a collection of teddy bears for children to adopt.
Emmaus’ companions lovingly named each one before they found their forever homes, with every new owner receiving an official adoption certificate.
The afternoon was packed with activities, including a volunteer-led reading of The Bear and the Piano, a teddy bear tea party, a bear hunt, and the chance for children to decorate their very own “bear-terfly”.
Visitors also took part in creating The Adventures of Bear activity sheets, an ongoing project that will run until later this year. The completed stories and illustrations will be brought together into a special book to celebrate Emmaus Mossley’s 30th anniversary next year.
Looking ahead, organisers are already thinking about the celebration.
“We go with whatever you guys give us, basically,” said Emmaus employee Molly. “Maybe space? We’re not sure yet.”
No birthday party would be complete without hearing from the guest of honour himself.
Bear told The Correspondent he had a “bear-y good time.”
I could not resist bringing along my own teddy bear, Angelina Flower, who had an absolute blast joining in the jungle adventures alongside all of Bear’s new friends.
With creativity, community spirit and plenty of teddy bear cuddles, it was another un-bear-lievably successful celebration; one that left everyone smiling and already looking forward to what Bear has in store next year.