An un-bear-lievable donation of nearly 40 rare teddy bears has raised more than £1,600 for Acorns Children’s Hospice after going under the hammer at auction.

The cuddly collection of Charlie Bears was sold after a flurry of bids and the money raised be used for the care of children with life limiting and life threatening conditions and support for their families.

The furry friends, which are made in the UK and collected by avid fans across the world, were sold by Lichfield-based Richard Winterton Auctioneers with some individual bears selling over estimate and fetching up to £70 each.

Vicki Behan, Supporter Services Manager for Acorns, said: “This was a grrr-eat collection of unique and loveable teddy bears which were put up for auction by a generous local collector to help raise funds for our lifeline care of local children and their families.

“We are very grateful to her and to Richard Winterton Auctioneers for generating as much money as possible for this highly sought-after cute collection.

‘Fur-ever homes’ as bears collected over several years

“We hope the bears have gone to their fur-ever homes and to kind new owners whose interest means we can continue to be there for children and families when they need us the most.”

Charlie Bear panda ‘Monium’ and ‘Alicia’ were two of the stars in the collection, along with the exclusively designed ‘Squizzle’ and ‘Smidgen’. Winterton’s waived all fees for the sale.

The bears’ former owner, who did not wish to be named, said she had collected the teddies over several years and added that each bear was special in its own way, and she was ‘very pleased’ with the amount raised for the charity.