Hundreds turn out for teddy picnic

Top picnic: Kate Sands 4, Annalise Aussiker 4, Hugh Renshaw 3 and Travis Aussiker 3 enjoyed the teddy bears at Recreation Park yesterday.

TEDDY bears, toddlers, tweens and all ages in between enjoyed a day in the park yesterday for National Child Protection Week.

More than 30 Tweed services and hundreds of parents and children took part in the family fun day at Recreation Park in Tweed Heads.

Event organiser Vicki Ridley, from the Tweed Shire Women's Service, said they were pleased with the turnout.

“This was the fifth annual Teddy Bears' Picnic we've held, and it's great,” Mrs Ridley said. “The highlights are probably just the input and support from the services and the support of the families who keep supporting it each year.

“It's great to see mums and dads out supporting it.

“St Joseph's Primary School also did some skills and drills with members of the Titans development team.”

Mrs Ridley thanked Twin Towns Services Club for their sponsorship.

“We've had some amazing support,” she said.

“It's the little things that mean the biggest to us.

“The purpose of the week is to raise awareness that the wellbeing and safety of Australia's child- ren is everyone's responsibility.”

A survey taken during last year's event found that although 92 per cent of people considered child abuse a serious issue, less than 50 per cent would take action to help the child by ringing a child protection authority or the police.