Wapikka teddy bears now at The Bear Garden

We are very pleased to now be stocking Wapikka teddy bears at the Bear Garden! Wapikka is a new British teddy bear brand on a mission to feed some of the world's most hungry, deprived school children. Every time someone buys a Wapikka bear they feed a child for a full school year in Malawi, East Africa.
All of their teddy bears are handmade in England, and are made of beautiful, light golden mohair.
We recently interviewed Wapikka’s Founder and Chief Teddy Officer, Ian Carpenter.

Where did the idea for Wapikka come from?

About a year ago I wrote a list of all the things I wanted to do over the next 10 years. The top two on things on that list were to start a business of my own and to contribute to a cause in a big meaningful way. I thought why not do both at the same time! Wapikka is a purpose driven business, which means we are not just about making a profit; we are just as committed to making an impact on peoples lives.

Why did you decide to support hunger and not another cause?

In 2016 it’s crazy that there are still so many hungry children in the world. 1 in 6 children in the developing world are underweight or malnourished.
I think teddy bears are such an important part in a child’s life. They are every child’s first best friend and teach us to care and look after something else when we’re young. Good nutrition is the foundation for every child to live a happy, healthy life so as a business we are dedicated to providing children around the world with the food and nutrition to reach their potential.

How are you able to feed a child?

We’ve partnered with a fantastic charity British charity called Mary’s Meals. They run school feeding programmes in some of the worlds most deprived communities. Each time someone buys a Wapikka teddy bear we make a donation to Mary’s Meals to enable them to feed a child for a full school year.

What have you got planned next?

I’m really pleased with our first teddy bear. People have really fallen in love with him, which is awesome. I’m already working with our designers and manufacturers on some ideas for new bears, which we will hopefully be launching later in the year. I’m also focusing on growing the brand and getting the word out about what we’re trying to do so we can feed more children and really make an impact.