Driffield teddy bear rescue: How furry friends helped a bereaved mother

Did you know the collective noun for a group of teddy bears was a hug?

Tina Rush's hug is 13,000-strong - and she has turned her passion for the loveable soft toys into a money-maker for charity.

As well as giving away bears in random places, Tina - known by the moniker The Furry Fairy - sells them, with cash going to Asthma + Lung UK.

Her daughter Jofi died in 2016 from the condition, aged 25.

One room alone in Tina's East Yorkshire home contains about 7,500 teddies - who share the space with her husband Scott and son Jazz.

Tina, from Driffield, says: "You look into its eyes and suddenly it has a soul. This little bag of stuffing becomes real to you."

She admits her passion may seem odd to some - but she is as comfortable in her skin as the bear is in its fur.

Tina says: "It makes me happy".

If Tina spots an unloved teddy in a skip, she has to rescue it - or, rather, him.

She says: "I have to help him. I've also taken them off park benches and from auctions when they are just rotting in boxes by the dozens because nobody wanted them."

Tina reveals her fascination with bears began 64 years ago when her mother bought her Button.

"I absolutely adore him," she says. "He goes everywhere with us. He has more clothes than I have. He has 112 pairs of shoes and I dress him up for different occasions."

Tina likes to spread the love, often leaving teddies she has rescued in random places, including supermarkets.

"I was once in Morrison's and I left a teddy bear there," she says. "When I came out there was a little girl with the bear and she said to her mum, 'Where did that come from?' Her mum said, 'The Furry Fairy had left him. I seem to have got that label."

When she feels sadness and wishes to reflect on the loss of her daughter, Tina surrounds herself with her treasured teddies.

"We were extremely close," she says.

Returning the love the bears give Tina, she ensures they are always in tiptop condition.

She says: "All the bears are frozen once a month. That kills the dust mites."

Lavender is also dotted around the house to ward off moths - the enemy of teddy bears.

"All the bears are going to go to auction," says Tina, adding the proceeds from the sale will go to Asthma + Lung UK.

"I hope someone will look back with a smile and think this crazy woman who was sat amongst 13,000 teddy bears did some good in the end."

Watch the full interview with Tina on tonight's BBC Look North at 18:30 BST or via iPlayer.

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