A crafty team of nimble-fingered ‘woolly warriors’ at a New Forest care home have knitted 500 little bobble hats as part of a campaign to support much-needed services for older people.
Residents and staff members at Colten Care’s Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst took up their knitting needles in support of the Big Knit.
The national initiative, a partnership between charity Age UK and drinks brand innocent, aims to raise funds to provide information, companionship and friendship to enable people in later life to enjoy more fulfilling and independent lives.
For every hat knitted, ready to be placed on the top of an innocent smoothie bottle, 30p is donated to Age UK, meaning Woodpeckers has raised £150.
The home’s knitters have spent more than 400 hours producing their woolly masterpieces, each one unique in its design.
They have worked their way through more than 20,000 grams of wool sourced through community donations.
Resident Dawn Pearson said: “We love knitting and have all enjoyed taking part, knowing at the same time that the money raised would go to help people perhaps facing loneliness or worries about money and how to cope.”
Woodpeckers Companionship Team Leader Jane Bunker said: “Knitting is a great way to relax, be creative and come together with others for chats and shared time. Our residents needed no excuse to turn woolly warriors for the Big Knit. We’ve had a lot of fun supporting this worthy cause.”
As with hats knitted across the country, Woodpeckers’ contribution will be sent to innocent for use on ‘behatted’ smoothie bottles on sale in the shops.
The firm says hats are widely repurposed as desk ornaments, gear stick warmers, Christmas tree decorations, bunting and in many other fun applications.
Since 2003, the Big Knit has raised £3.2 million to support Age UK services.
