The Framework Knitters ‘Knit for Community’ project, which began last April, continues to grow with 43 new volunteers since early December.
Members or friends of 34 different Livery companies have supported this initiative and as of 21st January we have 522 volunteers from across the UK, including one Liveryman from America! This initiative is 100% volunteer led and following TV coverage on East Midlands Today and Look North, as well as knitting publications, local papers and a number of charities we gained a large number of new volunteers from local communities, the majority of whom would not have heard of a Livery company.
Last November we held an auction of 30 blankets with the proceeds being split between our five charities, and together with individual donations we were delighted to raise over £6,000.
To date over 215 blankets and 164 lap blankets (in total well over 20,000 knitted squares) have been completed or are in production, and second deliveries of blankets have been made to two of our charities. Our five charities are Action Homeless – Leicester, Glass Door – London, Meadows Hope Food Bank – Nottingham, Small Acts of Kindness – Watford and Smart Move – Halifax.
With the latest lockdown many volunteers are enjoying having a positive focus and are happy to keep knitting. We would like to continue donating blankets and lap blankets, and if anyone knows of a family member, friend or group who would be willing to support this project please ask them to go to www.frameworkknitters.co.uk or email Liz Green liz@lizgreen.co.uk. Donations of wool are also very welcome.
To close, here are a few comments we have received from our volunteers:
‘Thanks for giving me something worthwhile to do and think about during our enforced hibernation!’
‘Quite a few squares for you this month as I have been knitting whilst watching ‘Le Tour de France’ cycling event. I class that as multi-tasking!’
‘It just reminds me that each of us apart can’t do much but TOGETHER we can.’
James from Action Homeless commented,
‘I am about to take the blankets I picked up to one of our hostels for people with high support needs. As well as keeping people warm, they will help us to dress rooms and make each one feel more like home for the person in them.’
Donation of socks
Last December Past Master George Turner and his brother Liveryman Nicholas Turner, who own a sock manufacturing business in Derbyshire, donated 400 pairs of socks to Glass Door in London and sent 1,000 pairs of socks to Marianne Fredericks CC. Marianne is Chairman of the City of London Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Committee, and she arranged for the socks to be sent to their clients at St Paul’s Hostel, The Lodge at St Ursula’s (Lodge I) and The City Lodge (Lodge II), Thames Reach (the City’s Outreach provider) as well as their city clients staying in temporary hotel accommodation and those still out on the streets and the Square Mile Hygiene Bank. We are in the process of sending some blankets to Marianne for distribution to St Paul’s Hostel for clients who are moving on to permanent accommodation.
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