Karen Jankel, born in 1958 – the same year that the first Paddington book was published – remembers the charity sticker she attached to her mirror. It was given to her by her father in 1976 following a meeting he’d had with Duncan Guthrie, founder of what would become children’s charity Action Medical Research, and it was the beginning of a very special relationship which still endures today.

In the mid 1970s Paddington’s popularity was soaring, following his television debut in 1974, and Michael Bond was approached by a number of charities vying for an opportunity to work with Paddington Bear. The meeting with Duncan Guthrie stood out. Guthrie had founded the charity after his own daughter contracted polio and he made it his mission to beat the disease through funding research to develop the first polio vaccines in the UK.

This particularly resonated with Michael who had seen Karen spend many years in hospital, as a child, after complications from a congenital hip condition, something that “should have been simple to correct but proved far more complex” she recalls. On the wards, she had seen children dealing with the lingering effects of polio.

The charity set up by Duncan in 1952 and known then as The National Fund for Poliomyelitis Research, had built its reputation on polio, but widened its remit to fund research into a range of diseases and conditions affecting babies and children.

Michael was particularly drawn to the charity’s focus on funding medical research rather than short-term fixes. “The charity’s appeal was clear for my father” recalls Karen. “This was not about putting a sticking plaster over a problem. It was about finding solutions, using science. He also liked the fact that it wasn’t a single cause charity but instead supports research into a range of different conditions. It was like several charities all rolled into one and, as we know, Paddington is a bear who likes a bargain!”

After finishing University, Karen spent a few years working in publishing but soon found herself at a career crossroads. Meanwhile, the business side of Paddington had really taken off and Michael found he was spending most of his days answering business questions instead of doing what he loved to do, which was to write.

Karen remembers: “He said, I tell you what. You don't know what you want to do for a career and I'm finding that the business is taking too much of my time. Why don't you come just for a few months and help to run the company – you’ve grown up with Paddington. You understand him almost as well as I do.” What started as a temporary role in 1981, evolved into a lifelong professional relationship with Paddington. As the business expanded, Karen became increasingly central to the decision-making, eventually becoming Managing Director in 1985. This role placed her in regular contact with Action Medical Research, deepening her involvement through meetings, events, and stewardship of Paddington as the charity’s mascot.

Early activities and growing involvement

Karen visited the charity’s offices many times and remembers one of the fundraising initiatives the charity ran, called ‘The Make It Grow Club’ which was started to help teach children about the work of Action Medical Research and get them involved in raising money for research. Paddington was at the heart of this club and would often appear at events to help raise money. Karen remembers one such ‘Make It Grow Club’ event, celebrating a birthday for the club, which was fronted by her late father and then child star, Bonnie Langford. Karen reflects: “It’s lovely how it all comes full circle. Now Bonnie Langford is playing Mrs Bird in the Paddington musical, and somehow Action and Paddington still hold it all together – a bit like the marmalade that sticks everything in place!”
 

In 1992 Karen became even more closely involved with Action Medical Research when she became a Trustee – a role she cherished and which spanned 20 years. She recounts: “I remember it very clearly because it was about two weeks after my third child, India, was born that I attended my first Trustee meeting.” Once again, there was a strong connection between Karen and Action’s cause. When India was born it was ultrasound, a technique championed by Action Medical Research, that revealed conclusively that she did not have the same hip condition that Karen had. However, India’s birth brought a different set of complications with it; Karen suffered pre-eclampsia and India weighed just 4.5lbs when she was born. Action Medical Research continues to fund work around both pre-eclampsia and premature birth.

Karen remained a Trustee for 20 years, during which time she gained insight into the charity’s governance, financial stewardship, and research funding decisions. This experience confirmed for her that the charity was well run and used funds responsibly and effectively, a quality her father valued greatly.

Karen continues to be closely involved with the charity and was invited to become the Patron of the Bear Club (now known as the PB Lunch Club) with Paddington as its mascot, set up and run by a very special long-standing Action Medical Research Volunteer, Angela Hyde of the Peterborough Committee. Over the years, Karen and Paddington have helped this group to raise over £1m to fund vital medical research for sick babies and children. 
 

At the heart of the charity

Paddington’s support for Action Medical Research has been unwavering over the past five decades and during that time he has helped to attract thousands of new supporters to the charity who together have raised millions of pounds to help babies and children. Karen remembers the charity’s float in the Lord Mayor’s Parade in the 1980s, featuring a giant Paddington. She also recalls the London Paddington Trail, where two specially designed bears helped raise money for the charity. Paddington also inspired the charity’s Bring your Bear school fundraising event, and, thanks to Karen and her father, he appears in the book Paddington Goes to Hospital, with UK royalties donated to Action. He also helps attract public attention through memorable celebrations such as his two annual birthdays, including a 2013 event where he offered free hugs to weary commuters and also set a then world record for mascot hugs.

Personal milestones and Paddington’s homeland, Peru

Karen’s personal experiences further linked Paddington’s story with the charity when in 2010 she became the first member of her family to visit Peru (Paddington’s homeland) when she participated, with her daughter Robyn, in a fundraising trek to support Action Medical Research.  It was a trip of a lifetime for Karen who until two years before the event could not have imagined taking part due to her congenital hip problem – which left her in constant pain and unable to walk without a stick. However, a hip replacement (a procedure made possible because early research into hip replacements had been funded by the charity decades before) in February 2008 had such brilliant results that for the first time in her life Karen was able to consider taking on the trip of her dreams. 

“It was a very special moment,” she recalls “actually stepping out onto the runway in Lima, something I’ll never forget.” She continues: “When we arrived there in 2010, they hardly knew Paddington.” Karen took Paddington with her on that first visit to Peru and he accompanied her all the way to Machu Picchu. “That was really a very, very proud moment. Being in Paddington’s homeland and raising funds for Action Medical Research, a charity that had touched my life in so many ways, was incredible.”
 

A partnership that endures

Paddington’s enduring appeal lies in the authenticity of his beginnings. As Karen explains: “My father never set out to write a children’s book; he simply wanted to write. He happened to glance at a small bear he’d bought for my mother one Christmas Eve, remembered the name Paddington from the station nearby, and just began. Because he wrote purely for his own pleasure and amusement, and because he believed in Paddington absolutely, the character became utterly real to him and I think that is why he has felt so real to everyone else ever since.”

Throughout Paddington’s global expansion – from books to television, film, and stage – Paddington’s association with Action Medical Research has remained constant. Karen believes that this longevity stems from Paddington’s values: kindness, a strong sense of right and wrong, and a desire to help others. These characteristics have allowed Paddington to remain a trusted and meaningful symbol for the charity over half a century.

Looking ahead with pride

Half a century on, the world has changed. But the thread running through that first conversation between two fathers remains: a children’s character used not as a logo, but as a way to help tell a story about kindness, giving, resilience and the hope that research can bring for children and families.

Marking the 50 years of partnership, Karen expressed pride in what Paddington’s involvement has helped achieve: raising funds, supporting breakthroughs, and offering hope to families. Karen says: “I feel extremely proud that Paddington has continued his association with the charity for so long. It’s a perfect fit for Paddington, as a bear who always wants to help others.” She continues: “If my father were alive today, he would be celebrating the milestone enthusiastically with a glass of champagne and wishing the charity another 50 years of continued success in bringing hope and progress to children’s health.”

And what about Paddington? “He would be marking it with an extra marmalade sandwich, of course!”