Guest blog - Calling all knitters!
Time to dig out those knitting needles for the Big Knit .....
It’s the return of the Big Knit campaign and Age UK Maidstone is calling on local residents to join in and get knitting!
Whether a knitting ninja, purling pro, crochet connoisseur or just keen to have a go it’s time to get wild about wool and join the Big Knit. Now in its 15th year, the campaign is recruiting knitters to help create an impressive 1.6 million hats to adorn innocent smoothie bottles. For each be-hatted smoothie sold*, Age UK receives 25p, and that money helps the Charity support older people who are facing later life alone.
Paul Coles, Chief Officer of Age UK Maidstone said: “We need the people of Maidstone to join us and help knit as many miniature hats as possible this winter to help us hit our 2,000 hat target. It’s such a fun campaign to get behind and it does so much to help older people in our area.
“The money raised will make a big difference to the lives of older people by funding our hugely important Befriending service. Meeting our target would raise £500 and allow us to recruit 10 new volunteers, providing friendly conversation and companionship to older people in Maidstone suffering from loneliness.”
Last year alone, more than one million hats were lovingly created, with designs including the hugely popular unicorn, grizzly bear, fluffy sheep and desert island.
Bara Amouyal, innocent drinks, said: “The Big Knit has had such an incredible amountof support over the past 15 years and we are hugely grateful – we love seeing what miniature creations the nation can come up with! Through the Big Knit campaign, we want to do everything we can to make a difference to the lives of older people.”
For more information on The Big Knit contact Age UK Maidstone on 01622 753618 or visit www.ageuk.org.uk/maidstone. Please send completed hats to Age UK Maidstone at 7 Mill Street, Maidstone, ME15 6XW.
This year’s hat knitting pattern is available to download, to find out more visit: www.ageuk.org.uk/bigknit or pop into our centre at 7 Mill Street, Maidstone to pick up a leaflet.