DORSET-BASED charity Teddy20, has secured £7,950 in funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The funding received from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund was given to Teddy20 to help with the running costs of the charity’s static caravan, which provides respite to children undergoing cancer treatment.

In 2015, the charity purchased a static caravan called Ted’s Shack, at five-star holiday park, Waterside Holiday Park & Spa in Bowleaze Cove, Weymouth.

The luxury eight berth caravan is offered to the families of children receiving cancer treatment in the Wessex region, referred to Teddy20 by healthcare professionals.

Owen Newton, Chairman at Teddy20, said: “We’re very thankful to the Coronavirus Community Support Fund and to the government for picking Ted’s Shack as one of its projects to receive funding.

“Ted’s Shack is so much more than a holiday home, it’s a place where families can recuperate and make precious memories.

“We receive referrals from healthcare professionals at Southampton’s Children’s Hospital and CLIC Sargent, among others in the Wessex region, with the details of a child that is going through cancer treatment, in remission, or of a child whose cancer is sadly terminal.”

Teddy20 was set up in 2009 by Owen and Kim Newton from Blandford Forum, after their son Ted Newton passed away at the age of ten, following a brief battle with a rare form of bone cancer called Ewings Sarcoma.

The caravan was purchased using money raised from various Teddy20 fundraising challenges and the Teddy Rocks Festival, which usually takes place in Blandford Forum every Early May Bank Holiday but was cancelled this year.

“Each year, it costs the charity more than £7,000 in service charges for the general running of Ted’s Shack, even when it is not in use.

“Like all charities, Covid-19 has meant that we have had to cancel a lot of our events and challenges that would have typically covered these costs.

The National Lottery funding we have received has helped us tremendously and meant that we can keep Ted’s Shack running this year, in preparation for hosting families next year.”