The people who make Charlie Bears

Charlie Bears began with Charlotte "Charlie" Morris and William Morris, and the first collection of 12 bears launched on 1 February 2006. Behind the names and neck tags is a small company story, with shops, designers, a Bearhouse, and one special bear made for Cornwall Air Ambulance.

Charlotte and William Morris

Before Charlie Bears began, Charlotte owned and ran three teddy bear shops in the UK. One of those shops was in Leeds, where she met William.

Charlotte and William sold their home, car and boat to fund the start of Charlie Bears. The first collection was shown at the NEC in Birmingham in spring 2006 and took over 100 retailer orders. The first QVC UK appearance followed in September 2006.

Charlotte Morris is the company's own designer, working at the Bearhouse. The company says it has created over 2,500 different designs and supplies over 500 shops worldwide. That is a lot of paws, collars, names and small faces to have come from the first 12 bears.

The Bearhouse in Launceston

The Bearhouse is Charlie Bears' design and production home in Launceston, Cornwall. Companies House lists Charlie Bears Limited as company number 05378073, incorporated on 28 February 2005 and registered at Unit 2 Milford Park, Pennygillam Industrial Estate, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 7PJ.

The Charlie Bears Gallery and Shop at the Bearhouse opened its final stage on 1 July 2016. It was opened by Elspeth Rose Meikle with Make-A-Wish UK.

The Bearhouse is one of those names that sounds as if it wandered out of a storybook, but it is also the company's real home address for design and production.

The designers

Isabelle Lee, from South Korea, designs the Isabelle Collection. That collection includes mohair and alpaca, and Isabelle Lee also designs the annual Isabelle Masterpiece.

Heather Lyell, from New Zealand, designs for the Plush range. Auction houses credit individual bears as "designed by Heather Lyell".

Alison Mills, UK, designs across the Plush, Bearhouse and Signature ranges. Those range names matter because Charlie Bears has several different bear cupboards, from the core Plush Collection to the children's Bearhouse Bears.

In June 2025 the company launched Charlie's Julien Macdonald Signature Collection with the British fashion designer Julien Macdonald OBE. It launched on QVC UK on 26 June 2025 for the 20th anniversary. The first three characters, Cosmo, Miyaka and Feleena, are limited to 1,200 pieces each and individually numbered.

Pilot Pete and Cornwall Air Ambulance

Pilot Pete was designed and made by Charlie Bears for Cornwall Air Ambulance. He launched in November 2019. A percentage of each sale went to the charity's New Heli Appeal.

It is a very particular Charlie Bears story: one named bear, made for one Cornwall charity, with his own little place in the bigger shelf of company history.

Goldenhands sells Charlie Bears at 30 George Street in Hastings Old Town and lists them here: https://goldenhands.co.uk/collections/charlie-bears