Children help Paddington celebrate 50th anniversary for charity

Half a century after being found sitting on his suitcase at the railway station, having arrived from Darkest Peru, Paddington’s favourite son, or rather bear, returned to his adopted home to celebrate the momentous anniversary and raise funds for his favourite charity, Action Medical Research.

The children’s icon dusted down his duffel coat and hat to take his place as the guest of honour at a special party at PaddingtonCentral, the office and retail development adjacent to the station.  The event was held on his birthday, June 25, making it a double celebration. 

Over 200 children from local school and nursery classes helped Paddington celebrate in style, and were treated to a whacky science show by inventor and broadcaster Professor Heinz Wolff, before listening to a classic Paddington Bear story and playing party games. Of course, no birthday party would be complete without a slice of birthday cake and, in honour of the birthday bear, a marmalade sandwich!

Paddington Bear is the official mascot of national charity Action Medical Research, which runs an annual ‘Bring Your Bear’ fundraising event for schools and nurseries every June. Children attending the party brought their own teddy bears, making a £1 donation to the charity’s Touching Tiny Lives campaign, which is raising funds to help sick and vulnerable babies.

Holding Paddington Bear’s paw at the party was Karen Jankel, daughter of Michael Bond, creator and author of the Paddington Bear series of books. The first story was published in 1958, when the bear was found at Paddington railway station in London by the Brown family, with a note attached saying “Please look after this bear. Thank you”, having arrived as a stowaway from his native Peru.

Since then, the politely spoken bear has featured in dozens of books and had his own television series, turning him into a universally recognised character across all ages, and a national treasure. He is soon set to star in his own feature film.

Michael Bond’s latest book ‘Paddington Here and Now’, the first new Paddington novel in three decades, was published earlier this month, proving that the bear’s popularity remains as enduring as ever. 

The party was hosted and supported by Bakkavor Group, a leading international fresh prepared foods manufacturer, whose UK headquarters are based at PaddingtonCentral. 

Action Medical Research is a national charity, which is dedicated to building a healthier future for everyone. The Charity is funding research into many serious diseases and conditions, including premature birth, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, osteoporosis, blindness, inflammatory bowel disease and stroke.

Action Medical Research has been supporting/funding breakthroughs for over 50 years and its life-saving work benefits babies, children and adults. The Charity’s successes include helping develop the UK polio vaccine, ultrasound scanning in pregnancy, the hip replacement operation, and discovering the link between taking folic acid during pregnancy and preventing spina bifida.

Touching Tiny Lives is Action Medical Research’s fundraising campaign to help the most vulnerable babies in this country. More research is needed to ensure that all babies, especially babies born prematurely, have the best possible start in life. To date this appeal has raised more than £3m to fund over 30 high-quality medical research projects into pregnancy complications and premature birth. www.action.org.uk

PaddingtonCentra l, the 2 million sq ft Development Securities and Morley Fund Management scheme is the only place in London where you can live, work, play and travel from the same location.  The first phase, Sheldon Square, was completed in 2002 and has become established as one of central London’s premier developments.  Major office occupiers include Prudential and Kingfisher plc, with a selection of supporting retail, restaurant and leisure uses.  The distinctive terraced amphitheatre at its heart, encircled by a wide selection of retail, food outlets, bars and restaurants, has become Paddington’s social hub, for office workers and residents alike.  PaddingtonCentral is located immediately adjacent to Paddington Station with access to the Heathrow Express and Great Western main line, as well as four Underground lines, an enviable location in terms of connectivity and travel times for businessmen and commuters.

Bakkavör Group is a leading international food manufacturing company specialising in fresh prepared foods and produce. The Group operates 62 factories and employs over 20,000 people in ten countries with a pro-forma turnover in 2007 of £1.5 billion. The Group’s Head Office is in Reykjavík, Iceland. The Group is listed on the Nasdaq OMX Nordic Exchange in Iceland.