It was with great sadness last week that we learnt Helen Sargood, one of Tambo Teddies business co-founders, had passed away.
Helen together with Charm Ryrie and Mary Sutherland worked hard to establish the business from a quirky little idea, that many said couldn’t happen, to a thriving regional cottage industry business. No doubt their rewards were more the success and attention Tambo Teddies received rather than financial gain.
In the early days the challenges were many with no ‘google’ to assist them, many hours were spent on the phone chasing down materials and supplies.
Helen’s main role in the business was the marketing of the bears and she travelled many miles taking the product to shows and exhibitions, remarking, ‘I wore out at least one car promoting those bears around the countryside’. Charm attended many of the shows with Helen and remembers they attend the Brisbane Ekka for seven years in a row between 1997 and 2000 as well as the Rockhampton Beef Week in 1997. Helen was a gifted salesman and the role of promoting the teddies, keeping them in people’s faces and extolling their virtues came naturally to her.
Helen was also very much ‘hands on’ in the early days and spent many hours cutting-out the skins and trimming the bears ready for sale. As an artist, Helen had the creative ability to bring their personality forth. Charm remembers Helen as a hard worker who had great enthusiasm, and was very clever, commenting “Helen was so artistically gifted. She would create the expressions on the bears’ faces and they would be named accordingly.”
“Helen certainly contributed enormously to the success of the Tambo Teddies.”
Helen was a passionate supporter of the local community and believed in supporting and shopping locally. A proud ‘Tamboite’ who saw the best in everything and everyone. We have always felt Helen’s support since we purchased the business, she was very excited for us when we took it on and continued her support and enthusiasm with everything we have done and implemented over the past four years.
Helen will be missed by the entire Tambo Community.