Knit a donkey and help out the Donkey Sanctuary

The Donkey Sanctuary is appealing for keen knitters to come forward to help create a herd of hand-knitted woolly donkeys to raise funds for the centre.

The knitted donkeys, which are individually made by supporters of the sanctuary, are sold both in the visitors centre in Sidmouth and online at www.donkeyworld.org.uk.

"We are thrilled that these little characters have been so successful," Marian Gumbrell, community fundraising manager, told H&H.

"We've been selling them for about a year, but this is the first time we've promoted them outside of our newsletter. We need more knitters just to keep up with the demand!"

For anyone wanting to test out their knitting skills, the sanctuary provides a knitting pattern, which originally came from a 1954 edition of Women's Weekly magazine, and additional instructions.

The sanctuary, which has taken more than 13,600 donkeys in the UK, Ireland and other areas of Europe into its care, is also looking for volunteer guides to run walks during the summer.

"We are a very popular tourist attraction as we are dog friendly and don't charge for parking or entry," explained Marian.

"We think a guided walk, where visitors can learn more about the history of the donkeys and the different breeds, will be very popular."

Volunteer guides will be given full training, including background information about the donkeys and the sanctuary.

For further information about the Donkey Sanctuary, visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org

And to receive a free copy of the knitting pattern, contact Ruth in the community fundraising department on 01395 578222 or email Sarah at Knit and Sew: sarah@knitandsew.co.uk

Lottie Butler, Horse and Hound newsdesk

22 February, 2010

Knitting scheme to fight cancer

From Wakefield Express, Date: 28 August 2009

KNIT one, pearl one and create a comfort blanket to raise awareness for a leading cancer charity.
Macmillan Cancer Support is asking for Wakefield’s knitters to pick up their needles and create anything from a single patchwork square to a full blanket.

Blankets that are donated to Macmillan will be used to support and raise awareness of the charity’s campaign to freeze out fuel poverty for cancer patients.

Maria Amos, Macmillan fundraising manager for Wakefield, said: “People undergoing cancer treatment have to spend more time at home as they’re often too ill to work.

“They feel the cold more because their immune system is weakened and they need more heating so their fuel bills are higher – and at a time when their household income plummets. They’re trapped.

“It’s a vicious circle and that’s why it’s so important to freeze out fuel poverty for cancer patients.”

Contact www.macmillan.org.uk/theknitter

The Big Knit

It’s time to get knitting to help older people stay healthy this winter.

Fancy helping older people keep healthy this wintertime? Then dust off those knitting needles, find a ball of your favourite yarn and cast on to help make this year’s Big Knit the biggest ever.

It’s a sad fact that in the UK, 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 are malnourished. So when it’s nippy outside, it’s even more important for older people to look after themselves and make sure their bodies are in tip top shape.

Innocent has joined forces with Sainsbury’s again to raise over £250,000 to support Age Concern and Help the Aged healthy living and healthy eating projects during the winter months. And we need your help to knit lots of little hats for our bottles.

For every behatted smoothie sold, innocent and Sainsbury’s will give 35p to Age Concern and Help the Aged. The monies raised will then be used to fund projects and advice centres offering information on healthy eating as well as cooking clubs and get-togethers where older people can sit down and enjoy a meal in each other’s company. Hot Christmas dinners all round.

There’s lots of knitting tips, patterns and pictures on Innocent's web pages to help you get started. And when you’re done knitting, just send finished hats to: The innocent Big Knit, Fruit Towers, 1 The Goldhawk Estate, Brackenbury Road, London W6 0BA (remember to include your name, address and number of hats you've knitted).

Upload your latest hat photos onto the Big Knit 2009 flickr group and the most creative ones could end up being our hat of the week (starting from September).

Deadline for hats is Friday 16th October 2009 and hats will be in store from 4th November 2009.

Happy Knitting.

Knitted with love for orphans around the world

By Thom Kennedy, Cumberland News
Last updated 05:18, Friday, 31 July 2009

THOUSANDS of children around the world will go to bed with a warm jumper on tonight –thanks to one woman from Carlisle.
Margaret Chamberlin, 76, has spent the last two-and-a-half decades giving her time hand-knitting jumpers and cardigans for poverty stricken children in orphanages and hospitals in Third World countries.
She currently has a box full of 200 hats, cardigans and jumpers to sent to young people in destinations such as Romania and Kenya.
And it is just one of dozens of boxes she has knitted herself and sent out over the last 27 years through the Scottish Christian care charity Blythswood Care.
Mrs Chamberlin, who lives in Clift Street, off Newtown Road, said: “I never knit two the same. Every one is different and flashily coloured as I think children relate to colours and can identify their own jumpers.
“I can do a jumper or cardigan in two nights, and including hats I can do about 300 or 400 a year. It’s just a case of how often I sit down and knit, and how much I do at a time.
“I’m sure I’ve sent thousands of items, but I’m glad I can’t count the exact amount. I was asked to go out to Romania once but I couldn’t go. I’m too soft-hearted anyway, I don’t think I would want to go into those hospitals. It must be heart-breaking to see. You do the best you can but you can’t do everything.”
She used to use a knitting machine, but an accident stopped her using it – so she sent it to Kenya.
Now all her jumpers, hats and cardigans are made by hand. As well as her knitting, Mrs Chamberlin makes cot blankets out of old materials, which are also sent to the countries.
Because her achievements have become so well known among friends, Mrs Chamberlin rarely buys wool or material.
She said: “I never need to go and buy wool, as different people bring it to me.
“It’s surprising how many people call up saying things like ‘I’m changing my bed, do you want a duvet?’ and I can cut it up and make it into a cot blanket.”
A van from the charity comes to Carlisle every month to pick up goods donated by members of the public, including medical supplies and clothes collected by other people in Carlisle, and throughout the north west and Scotland.

Knitting Marathon

The following article appeared in the Scarborough Evening News on May 26th, 2009

By Laura Crothers

A TEAM of Mother's Union members showed stamina and determination as they endured a marathon of the woolly kind.

Six keen knitters spun the yarn around the clock as they took part in a 24-hour knitting marathon as part of the Sailors' Society's annual Woolly Hat Campaign.

The marathon started at noon on Friday at St John's Church in Filey, and continued until Saturday lunchtime, with other knitters joining the group throughout the course of the day to show their support.

Jenny Jordan, of the Mother's Union, said: "We had six knitters who came from all over the East Riding who endured the full 24 hours. A lot of other people came at various times over the 24 hours and joined in the knitting which was a huge help.

She added: "It was actually a lot easier than we thought. We had a lot of fun and ate a lot to keep us going. I can't even count the number of cups of tea we had.

"Overall the event went really well. We managed to stay awake, and fortunately our fingers weren't too sore at the end of it."

for the rest of the article click here