An initiative aimed at helping elderly and sick people in the Fenland area as well as patients at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, has launched an urgent appeal.
The Fenland Camping and Caravan Park's 'Woolly Hub' is looking for knitters, crocheters, and wool to help ensure the long-term future of its blankets initiative.
The Woolly Hub was started in response to changes to the Winter Fuel Payment, which left many elderly and vulnerable people forced to choose between heating and eating.
The campsite in March Road, Wimblington, became a place for people to donate wool for others to pick up and use to knit or crochet squares and blankets for the elderly.
A total of 17 blankets were made and donated to Age UK in Chatteris the first year, which were distributed at Christmas.
Last year, the knitters did the same, producing 23 brightly coloured blankets for patients with dementia at Peterborough City Hospital - a move aimed to make it easier for them to recognise their own beds.
This year, the Woolly Hub has been given a grant from Cambridgeshire County Council to buy wool, with the key requirement that the blankets be given to people who might be isolated or unable to get out of their homes.
Kathleen Dabbs, who runs the Woolly Hub, explained: "With this in mind, I've been dropping wool off to people in the local Fenland area and returning later to pick up squares or blankets they've made.
"The response has been phenomenal!
"Lots of our blanket makers have used their own wool, but it would be wonderful if we could continue long-term and have even more wool that we can drop off.
"All of our blankets will be distributed across Hinchingbrooke Hospital; many of them will go directly to patients having chemotherapy, as this can cause increased sensitivity to the cold.
"The more wool we have, the longer we can continue to do what we're doing. We would be incredibly grateful if anyone could donate wool. Any donation, no matter how small, can make a difference.
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"And, we want to reach more Fenland-based crocheters/ knitters to help with the knitting. Unfortunately, travel costs mean I can not go much further than Fenland at the moment."
Kathleen would also like to hear from readers who know of anyone affected by isolation.
If you can knit or crochet and would like to help make blankets for Hinchingbrooke Hospital, then contact Kathleen via email at fenlandcamping@gmail.com
Get in touch, and Kathleen and her helpers will drop off wool to make squares, and will pick them up when they're ready.
Donations of wool can be made at the campsite office, which is open daily from 10am to 8pm.
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