Zoe Ball rises to

Paddington’s Suitcase Challenge!

TV’s Zoe Ball has been filling her suitcase to help raise funds for Paddington Bear’s favourite charity, Action Medical Research.

As the world-famous bear celebrates the 50th anniversary of the publication of the very first Paddington book this year, Zoe went back to her children’s TV roots to make a miniature version of his iconic suitcase ahead of the charity’s Bring Your Bear fundraising event this June.

Paddington hopes school children across the UK will follow Zoe’s lead and take part in Paddington’s Suitcase Challenge as part of their Bring Your Bear day fun. All they need to do is decorate a large matchbox, like Zoe has, and get friends and family to sponsor them for every little item they manage to fit in.

Zoe, who has only just unpacked from her stint on the Strictly Come Dancing UK tour, said: “It’s a bit smaller than the case I took with me on the road – I certainly couldn’t fit my dancing shoes inside – but for every little item I do manage to squeeze in I’ll be raising vital funds for Action Medical Research’s Touching Tiny Lives Campaign, which helps sick and vulnerable babies.”

It’s easy for schools to take part in Bring Your Bear on any convenient day in June, Paddington’s birthday month. The basic idea is that each child is allowed to bring their teddy bear or favourite soft toy into class for the day in return for a £1 donation.

For more information and to register visit www.action.org.uk/byb or call 01403 210406.

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