Published: 18/09/2026
More than 150 children at Busy Bees Norwich Hospital have spent months on a nursery-wide storytelling adventure, culminating in a pre-loved teddy bear drive that helped raise over £1,500 for BBC Children in Need. Their efforts were celebrated this week with a surprise visit from BBC Children in Need's beloved Pudsey Bear.
The Teddy Bear Drive invited families to donate their children's well-loved teddies, with the option to make a voluntary contribution in exchange for a new one. But the bears didn't just find new homes - they also inspired weeks of storytelling, creativity and imaginative play.
The older children created stories and designed a special teddy bear passport, whilst the younger children explored sensory and small-world play. The staff have also brought each bear’s story to life through storytelling, supporting children’s vocabulary, communication and confidence skills. In total, over 200 teddies were donated with more than 160 children choosing a new teddy to start their new adventures with.
To mark the end of the fundraising, the children were joined by the nation’s beloved bear, Pudsey, helping to not only celebrate the money raised but the nursery’s commitment to inspire a love of reading.
The fundraising campaign forms part of Busy Bees’ nationwide ‘Get the Reading Buzz’ pledge, which aims to share more than 45 million books with children across its nurseries this year*. By combining a passion for reading with fundraising for BBC Children in Need, Busy Bees Norwich Hospital has helped children discover the joy of books while making a meaningful difference to young lives across the UK.
Sarah Radford, Centre Director at Busy Bees Norwich Hospital, said: “I am incredibly proud of the children, team and our families who came together to support Children in Need – it truly was a true team effort!
“What started as a simple idea to give pre-loved teddies a new home grew into so much more. It gave our children the opportunity to create their own stories and discover the joy of reading. And of course, Pudsey was a firm favourite! It was wonderful to see the children’s excitement when they met Pudsey and a lovely way to celebrate everyone’s fantastic fundraising efforts.”
A parent whose daughter attends the nursery, added: “My child was so excited to meet Pudsey Bear and loved receiving her new teddy. She’s taken it everywhere with her since, including to bed every night. We thought it was a lovely way to tie in with the storytelling theme, and she’s really enjoyed drawing pictures and talking about their adventures together at home.”
For more information about Busy Bees Norwich Hospital, please click here.
* Based on over 37,000 Busy Bees children reading four books a day from March to?December, and?inviting families to join the collective mission?during weekends.
**https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-and-young-peoples-reading-in-2025/