Captains Paddy and Lucky nominated for BBC award

Mullingar man Jason Phelan has soared to new heights, as he and his Teddy Bear Captains, Paddy and Lucky, are nominated for the BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle Make a Difference Award.

These awards call on audiences to nominate their local heroes, to recognise the work that those people do in their communities.

Jason launched “The Adventures of Captain Paddy and Lucky in December 2022 to raise funds for Lauralynn Children’s Hospice and Dogs Trust Ireland.

So far, the teddies have flown in 66 different types of aircraft, flown into 19 counties in Ireland, reaching six continents and have circumnavigated the earth 21 times.

Along with this, the teddies have helped raise €11,000 for their charities, and they hope to reach €20,000 by the end of the year.

Speaking on the teddies nomination, Jason said: “ On behalf of the entire team, we want to express our heartfelt thanks to whoever put our names forward for this incredible award.

“We are truly honoured to be considered for such a meaningful award, even if we don't make the final shortlist of 32, just to be nominated alone is a remarkable achievement.

“When our teddies set out on their adventure back in December 2022, we could never have imagined that we would achieve such incredible highs.”