HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Needles & Hooks & Angels & Preemies

Today we celebrate a wonderful mile marker in the existence of one of my favorite charities.  Of course you remember that NHAP is charity serving the UK.  They had a BANNER year. Let me share their accomplishments with you.  


The accomplishments for the year according to Nikki Morris and Bea McDonald the coordinators and founders of NHAP: 
"GRAND TOTAL OF ITEMS SENT OUT 58,540

420 Boxes to Hospitals 36000 items sent out
63 angel packs 720 items
35 memory packs 260 items
72 going home packs 1484 items
150 preemie care packs 3060 items
7 boxes extreme sos 302 items
469 twiddle muffs
16 boxes and 11 sacks homeless 840 items
11 boxes and 8 sacks of children's items 4300 items
399 items as Christmas presents last year"



They helped 
6 homeless charities
knit for nowt
st elizabeths hospice
4 womans refuges
social services special babies
Salvation Army
the 100 project
eden park 
12 care homes
Newcastle breast feeding group

Here is how they accomplish all that great work:   In 12 months they grew from 2 members to nearly 3400 members,
They have 49 ladies who are not in the group as they don't use facebook, the have chldrens after school clubs who knit for them,
they have knit and natter groups who make for them, they have 22 ladies and gentlemen in residential care homes who make for them. (this is roughly at least 300 outside members)
they started with one hospital now they help 160 Hospitals (SCBU NICU CHILDRENS units)!  AMAZING AND WELL DONE! 

This fantastic team of people runs like a well oiled clock.  The Facebook group is more like a family then a group.  Not a disjointed group of people all operating in tandem but a family of people all forming a circle together to accomplish a goal.  That goal, to serve the under served in the UK. I marvel at the daily pictures they share of the beautiful and I mean beautiful little hand knit and crocheted items. I look at their work and begin to wonder how it is that I don't accomplish more!  


Obviously I live in the Northern Adirondack Mountains of New York State and NHAP is in the UK but they have welcomed me with open arms.  They treat me like one of their own because I respect their work, I respect their tenacity, and we love to knit and crochet to warm and clothe those who cannot protect themselves.
They exemplify all that is good in my world of fiber arts.  I wish there were more Facebook groups like this in the US.  People working together without all the drama.  :)  They are fantastic. 


I want you to see for yourself just a tiny fraction of the items they donate to facilities all over the UK and indeed, the world.