Gallagher Bassett’s Gentle Bear, a symbol of the third-party claims administrator’s corporate social responsibility program, celebrated its 10th birthday last month.

More than 10,000 teddies have been distributed globally, including 8500 in Australia, since the Gentle Bear program was established in SA.

The program, a collaboration between Gallagher Bassett and the SA police department, distributes bears to children affected by post-traumatic stress.

Gallagher Bassett GM for SA Paul Easter, who created the scheme, says the Gentle Bear “is a symbol of caring and comfort during times of loss and trauma, and it is fantastic to see the initiative positively impact such an important service in our community”.

“Our initiative has since expanded to our colleagues in New Zealand and the US. Not a week goes by that I don’t hear stories of the success of Gentle Bear.”