Smyths Toys sold the charity’s official mascot, Bernard Bear, in all stores throughout the UK and on its website over the Christmas period.

To celebrate this, Mark and Lauren Eakin visited Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) last week to meet with staff and present a cheque on behalf of Smyths Toys.

The donation will support the vital work of GOSH and will go towards funding the hospital’s most urgent needs, from pioneering research, state of the art medical equipment and the rebuilding and refurbishing of the hospital, to supporting services for families and patients. This will include parent accommodation, so mums and dads can stay close by when their children are being treated at GOSH.

Amit Aggarwal, director of corporate partnerships at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, commented: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Smyths Toys again, and it’s fantastic to see how staff and customers took Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Bernard Bear, into their hearts this Christmas. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing support; the money they have helped to raise will make a real difference in helping to support seriously ill children from across the UK who are treated at Great Ormond Street”.

Sinead Byrne, joint head of marketing at Smyths Toys, added: “Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity is an amazing cause, and we are thrilled that we got to work with them again and that the money we have raised from selling Bernard Bear on their behalf will help to make a difference.”