Steve Paterson, a senior well site leader at bp and treasurer of the Teddy Bear Playgroup in Buckie, says he is relearning how to ride a bike to take part in the coast-to-coast endurance challenge to support the playgroup that has made an unmeasurable difference to his family’s life
Steve, who hasn’t cycled for 43 years, will join a 70 strong peloton for the bp Coast 2 Coast cycle to raise funds for transportation to allow more families living in outlying areas to benefit from the playgroup.
He said: “After our son Torin was diagnosed with autism in 2022, we were told about developmental playgroups, and we were lucky enough to be offered a place at Teddies. The effort, dedication and devotion shown by the staff has inspired me to sign up for the Coast 2 Coast cycle – it’s a chance for me to give a little back.
“Torin is now five and in his third year at Teddies, and the improvements we’ve seen in his development have been nothing short of incredible.
“Torin was a distant, introverted little boy who would only tolerate extremely limited interaction with adults and zero interaction with other children. He was non-verbal, made virtually no eye-contact with anyone and didn’t like to be hugged or held.
“The one-to-one staff to child ratio at Teddies gives the practitioners the opportunity to spend time working on improving these issues, encouraging interaction through purposeful play, sharing toys, inviting others into personal space, and games with other children.
“He now plays with the other children, will tolerate others in his personal space, take turns with others and shares his toys. He makes eye contact often and will sit at the table for the full duration of a meal (unheard of previously!). He will now also come and sit on your knee for an extended period, welcomes and enjoys a hug and, hugely, he is now developing limited speech.”
Steve continued: “The time that Torin spends at Teddies is also valuable respite time for my wife Natalie and I, especially when I am working away from home for up to three weeks at a time. Caring for an autistic toddler is hard and knowing that he is in the hands of well-trained, caring professionals is huge for us.”
The Teddy Bear Playgroup was established by local GP, Dr Jim Tuckerman, in 1985. He recognised the need for local provision to care for pre-school children who required additional support in their development, in and around the Buckie area.
Dr Tuckerman said: “Our playgroup offers children with developmental needs and parents in our community a safe environment where early identification of challenges and needs can lead to early intervention. Our emphasis on one-to-one or two ratios of staff to children is an essential element of our playgroup. We offer support for parents who may feel isolated or challenged by their child’s needs and hope to be accessible to all.
“The Teddy Bear Playgroup is a charity, and we celebrate our 40th birthday in 2025. Our running costs are high and always a challenge, and we are very grateful for Steve’s fundraising efforts and those of the wider Coast 2 Coast team and wish them all a safe and rewarding journey.“
Gillian Stevenson, Teddy Bear Playgroup manager, added: “We are delighted to have been chosen to benefit from Coast 2 Coast 2025. These funds will enable us to support families with travel to the group, as we not only support children in the Buckie area, but are receiving referrals from Fochabers, Keith and beyond. We wish all the Coast 2 Coast cyclists the best of luck for the journey.”
The 234-mile Coast 2 Coast cycle will take place over three days from 6 June 2025. The endurance challenge, now in its 16th year, has raised more than £2million pounds for charity.
The cycle which will pass through Aberfeldy, Grantown on Spey and the Lecht this June will raise funds for four charities. In addition to the Teddy Bear Development Playgroup, Russell Anderson Foundation, Murtle Market by Camphill School and Simpsons Special Care Babies will benefit from the cyclists’ fundraising efforts.
The challenge is open to cyclists of all abilities with individuals covering their own accommodation and food costs. Each cyclist has a fundraising target of £1,000 and the total fundraising is split between the four charities.
The group is mainly made up of bp employees as well as bp alumni, representatives from the chosen charities and local organisations. Any money raised by bp employees will be matched by the bp Foundation – doubling the value of their contributions.
To sponsor one of the four Coast 2 Coast charities, you can select your preferred cause and click the link below.
Russell Anderson Foundation
Murtle Market by Camphill Schools
Simpsons Special Care Babies
The Teddy Bear Development Playgroup