Children in local hospitals will receive some cuddly toys this Christmas thanks to Haskins Garden Centre.

The Ferndown centre donated 150 Christmas bears to the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, following the recent ‘Elf Dash’ event at Branksome Dene Beach.

The event brought together more than 200 fundraisers to complete a 2km dash along the seafront, raising funds to contribute towards the children’s wards at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.

Marc Etheridge, general manager of Haskins Ferndown, said: “Our annual cuddly toy donations to local charities are always a highlight of Christmas for our team at Ferndown, making a genuine difference in our community.

“We have a really positive relationship with the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity and are proud of the difference we can make to the lives of children being supported by these hospitals all year round in our area.”

Hayley Harris, corporate fundraiser for University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, said: “We are so grateful to everybody at Haskins Garden Centre for their continued support to our wonderful NHS colleagues and everybody in the local community who needs the services provided from our hospitals.

“We use this generous donation of plush toys as part of our Christmas Elf Dash Event to help raise further funding and to support the priority projects across our hospitals this Christmas. These donations also help us in ensuring all our patients with us on Christmas Day receive a present, and don’t miss out on some of that Christmas magic.”

In total, Haskins has donated over 500 cuddly toys to charities across the south this festive season.