Some say knitters and crocheters are a dime a dozen. I beg to differ, I say knitters and crocheters are priceless and today's charity proves my point exactly. Its what happens when tenacity meets skill.
Needles & Hooks & Angels & Preemies (here after known as NHAP) started with an idea and within a year turned into a large group providing 140 hospitals and 180 units within those hospitals. They also join forces with various other charities within the UK. No question they are a great force for good! The background of this lovely story started with the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle Upon Tyne (or just plain Newcastle) The hospital has been operational for 250 years! Bea McDonald had been sending handmade items to RVI for 26 years. Then she asked Nikki Morris to join her in forming a group to serve a greater number of people. Now, with any group there needs to be an idea and a few who organize so that the idea has life. However, like with most charities, its really the group in Needles & Hooks & Angels & Preemies, who make an idea a fully functioning reality. Though I live in New York, USA I belong to this group of amazing people and I have seen how their desire to help people has become their driving force. The group has a facebook page where they meet, information is passed along, pattern files are shared, updates about the work are disseminated, and they do a lot of chatting about how their lives have been impacted by the work they are doing! The group has a total 3,033 members. By comparison my facebook business page has 210 members and I have been open 5 years so that will tell you how IMMENSELY important the work at NHAP is to the people of the UK. Its also a testament to how much knitters and crocheters give back to the communities in which they live. Not all donations to NHAP are handmade but to give you some idea of the staggering amount of work this group does; about 3 to 5,000 handmade items come in every month! Think of the number of people that are reached by that kind of love?! Amazing! The most frequent question is "How can I help?" Glad you asked ;) The details on exactly what is needed, what patterns are available and what wool (yarn) one has but to request to join the group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/needlesandhooksangelandpreemies/ However to give you a general idea I'll list some of the items requested:
Supporters of the group consider http://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/19IJJZAB8CLWN/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_ws_lTF2ub1677CJ8 That is just the tip of the iceberg. You will find much more information on the Facebook group page OR you an email them at [email protected]. Truly this group is passionate about helping the people who are often under served in their community. They have brought me to tears and made me laugh. But more than that they gave me a little of their passion to get BACK to work knitting for charity. I may have to start small but as the song so aptly states... "Start at the very beginning". Thank you to this lovely group of people. Its a great pleasure knowing you.
4 Comments
mary martin
8/30/2015 07:44:13 am
I am a member of needles & hooks angels & preemies Bea and her admin do a great job at distributing all or knitting and it feels good that our hand made cardys and stuff are all put to good use ,,
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Karen Thomson
8/31/2015 04:30:26 am
I am a member of Needles and Hooks Angels and Preemies ..i really love this Group as well as knitting crocheting and doing various other things for charity it is a very friendly Group ..The chat thread as well as being about our work is a great way to get too know each other ..Bea and Admin work endlessly too make sure everything is done properly
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Val
8/31/2015 06:56:09 am
Would love to make things for the premie babies where do I find patterns would love to make the little cribs thx Val
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bea mcdonald
8/31/2015 08:43:52 am
hi if you click on the link in the above post it will take you to our group where theres lots of patterns and friendly members
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Author**Opinions expressed on blogs about which I write are the opinion of the blog authors and DO NOT necessarily reflect my own opinion. |