Knitters are needed to make tiny woolly hats to become tops for drinks bottles in a fund raising campaign for a national charity.

Cambs Times: The Big Knit is coming to Fenland - mini woolly hats needed for a fund raising campaign for Age UK PHOTO: Age UKThe Big Knit is coming to Fenland - mini woolly hats needed for a fund raising campaign for Age UK PHOTO: Age UK (Image: Archant)

Age UK has teamed up with Innocent Smoothies which is paying 25p to the charity for every hat sent in - to date they have more than 15,000 but need to tip the 27,000 target.

Gloria Culyer, chief executive of Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “We know so many of you in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough love knitting and we’ve enjoyed seeing the range of colourful creations coming in so far – we’ve had traditional woolly hats, cute animals and even some well-known characters.

“But now we need you to carry on knitting for us and get as many hats to us as you can by 31st July. We can’t wait to see what our county has in store for us!”

Beverley Young, manager of Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “We have a target to knit 27,000 little hats with the potential to fund raise £6,750 as innocent smoothie will pay us 25 pence per hat.

Cambs Times: The Big Knit is coming to Fenland - mini woolly hats needed for a fund raising campaign for Age UK. This is a mini Henry Hoover PHOTO: Age UKThe Big Knit is coming to Fenland - mini woolly hats needed for a fund raising campaign for Age UK. This is a mini Henry Hoover PHOTO: Age UK (Image: Archant)

“Enthusiastic knitters are sending in little hats from all over the county and beyond.

“It seems to be a really uniting experience, and older people are teaching knitting skills to younger people.

“One of our knitters proudly told us how she has taught her eight year old grand-daughter to knit and what a lovely time they have together.

“We currently have a total of 15,604 little hats, so more than half way to our target with 11,396 to go.”

Cambs Times: Innocent is teaming up with Age UK to raise money - mini woolly hats needed by local knitter PHOTO: Age UKInnocent is teaming up with Age UK to raise money - mini woolly hats needed by local knitter PHOTO: Age UK (Image: Archant)

The woolly hats will be paired with innocent smoothie bottles and go on sale later this year, each be-hatted bottle will carry a 25p donation towards Age UK’s vital work to help support older people across the country.

• Each winter, one older person dies needlessly every seven minutes because of the cold, according to Age UK. Money raised will fund local services like day clubs, providing warm meals, befriending visits, emergency cold weather support, community warden schemes and other vital services.

• For more information contact Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough on 0300 666 9860 or www.ageukcap.org.uk. Send completed hats to Age UK at County Office, 2 Victoria Street, Chatteris, Cambs. PE16 6AP.