Tag: knitting

Three generations of Scottish family knit 6,500 chocolate ‘hats’ to raise over £35,000 for Mary’s Meals

The Young family have also knitted scarves which if tied together would be taller than the Eiffel Tower – all for charity

Three generations of a Midlothian family have raised over £35,000 for charity by knitting 6,500 chocolate ‘hats’. 

And as Easter approaches, the Young family are spreading joy once more by knitting their charming chocolate egg covers to raise funds for international school feeding charity Mary’s Meals. 

Colin, 67, and Jackie, 64, from Dalkeith in Midlothian, first discovered Mary’s Meals 12 years ago while watching a television programme featuring the charity’s work in Malawi. Moved by the charity’s impact – providing meals to hungry children to encourage school attendance – the couple felt inspired to take action. 

Colin recalls: “We were inspired by the transformative power of providing food in schools and how such a simple act can lead to a better life for children.  

“Seeing the scale of hunger and poverty was daunting, but we found encouragement in Mother Teresa’s words: ‘If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.’ So, we set out to do just that.” 

Mary’s Meals, founded in a shed in the Scottish Highlands, provides daily school meals to more than 2.6 million children across 16 of the world’s poorest countries, including Haiti, Malawi and South Sudan. The charity’s feeding programme ensures that a nutritious meal attracts children into the classroom, where education becomes the key to a brighter future. 

Jackie’s knitting journey began when someone offered to pay for a scarf she made as a Christmas present. Instead of accepting payment, she donated the money to Mary’s Meals. That simple act of kindness has since blossomed into an ongoing project, producing more than 410 scarves, 35 baby blankets and an astonishing 6,500 ‘hats’ for chocolates. 

Having raised more than £35,000 for Mary’s Meals over the past decade, the couple estimates that if all the scarves Jackie has knitted were joined together, they would stretch from the top of the Eiffel Tower down to the ground. 

Fundraising for Mary’s Meals has become a true family effort. Their granddaughter, Lucy, now 16 years old, started helping at just eight years old. Initially assisting with table sales, she now creates crochet animals to sell alongside her grandparents’ knits, raising an impressive £1,000 to date. 

Colin and Jackie’s daughter, Laura, 41, has also joined the cause, contributing new, creative ideas and making paper-based crafts that have generated around £1,200 for the charity. 

This year, the family hopes to raise £3,000, largely through their Easter and Christmas projects, with support from Beeslack Community High School in Penicuik, Midlothian. Their continued dedication is a testament to how small, heartfelt actions can make a significant impact. 

Sally Davidson, Supporter Engagement Officer for East Scotland​ at Mary’s Meals, says: “Colin and Jackie’s dedication is truly inspiring. Their creativity and generosity demonstrate the power of small acts of kindness in transforming lives. Every stitch they knit helps provide nutritious meals for children who might otherwise go hungry.  

“We are incredibly grateful for their support and for the way they’ve brought their whole community together to help Mary’s Meals feed the next child waiting for a nutritious daily meal in a place of education.” 

For those feeling inspired by Colin and Jackie’s efforts, there are many ways to get involved. Whether it’s knitting, baking, hosting a fundraiser, or simply spreading the word, every action – no matter the size – can make a big difference.  

Visit Mary’s Meals website for more ideas on how to help feed hungry children and find out how Mary’s Meals is providing More Than A Meal for some of the world’s poorest communities.  

Knitting has incredible benefits on brain health

Whether players want to improve their brain health and memory after sustaining a head injury or purely want to test their cognitive skills, memory activities are a great way to stimulate mental fitness and improve brain health.

Experts at SolitaireBliss have revealed a top 5 list of brain training and memory improvement activities that offer players a wide range of cognitive benefits.

  1. Jigsaw puzzles

The benefit of puzzles is that they are available for all ages; whether you’re five or fifty-five, there are plenty of puzzles and jigsaw games on the market that will test your brain cells and improve mental speed.

Both physical and online puzzles are mentally stimulating and can also help increase concentration and attention levels whilst working to enhance positive moods.

Puzzles are also an incredible way to eliminate stress and reduce anxiety, so they are a perfect option for those suffering from these problems.

  1. Card games

Card games might seem like an obvious option but are often forgotten about. Card games are the perfect way to work on improving problem-solving and strategy building.

Alongside delaying and preventing memory decline like puzzles, card games are also great for people who may struggle with social anxiety. They keep you socially active as many games require more than one player and help improve basic maths skills.

  1. Knitting

Contrary to popular belief, knitting is not only for the elderly! Knitting is a great way to keep all brain parts active and engaged. The calming act of knitting helps reduce anxiety, has fantastic benefits like eliminating emotional stress, and is a great way to distract from pain.

Not only does knitting allow a great sense of achievement when the project is finished, but it’s also a great way to increase dopamine and serotonin, which promote the body’s happy hormones.

  1. Chess  

Chess is the perfect way to challenge the mind and keep critical thinking at the forefront of the brain. The ancient game helps to develop pattern recognition, analytical thinking, exercise logic and improve memory.

For centuries chess has been an impressive game to master, which is why the beloved game has seen many world champions over the years. Albert Einstein was known to be an expert at the game, just like his best friend Emanuel Lasker, who held the world title for 27 years, the longest reign of any world champion.

  1. Online apps/websites

In this day and age where we are glued to technology and our phones, it is common for our minds to stay inactive and unengaged with all our hours of mindless scrolling, which is why brain training apps are perfect for everyday use by their ease of accessibility.

Many apps and websites are available for Android and Apple users, so finding one that suits you will be easy. Some of the most popular ones for brain training are SolitaireBliss, Lumosity, Elevate, CogniFit and NeuroNation.

A spokesperson for SolitaireBliss commented: “Not only are all these braining training activities beneficial by engaging cognitive skills, but they can help to prevent the early onset and reduce progression rates of Alzheimer’s, dementia and other memory-affecting diseases.

The benefits of taking part in any of these activities will keep your brain happy, healthy and engaged and give you the opportunity to learn a new skill and increase your social skills simultaneously!”

NSPCC asks people to knit for a fair start for children in Scotland

NSPCC Scotland is calling on people to knit two pairs of baby booties to help the charity campaign for better support for young children and their parents.

For every pair of booties received, the charity will donate one pair to families it works with in Glasgow and the other it will use to raise awareness with MSPs about the importance of investing in early childhood.

Through its Fight for a Fair Start campaign, NSPCC Scotland is urging the Scottish Government to provide support for all families who need it, so that every child is given the chance to thrive.

The charity says substantial investment is needed in specialist services that support the parent-infant relationship, which in turn help a child’s healthy development and prevent future problems in its life.

Evelyn Hart, a volunteer counsellor at the Aberdeen Childline base, has already been busy with her knitting needles and has completed her first pair of booties.

She said: “I want to help the NSPCC in this campaign because I know that it is so important that families receive all the support they need, so children can grow up feeling safe and nurtured.

“If we can prevent some of the trauma and hardship that some children face by giving them a better start in life, then I want to do what I can to help – and knitting a couple of pairs of booties is a small task!”

NSPCC Scotland research shows that despite overwhelming evidence that people’s experiences in early childhood lay the foundations for their future health and wellbeing, there is still very little support available in the country for families with young children.

In studies carried out before the pandemic hit, the charity found that very few services across Scotland specifically addressed the emotional and developmental needs of children under the age of two. Last year, around half of the children on the child protection register and over a third coming into the care system in Scotland were younger than five years old.

Joanne Smith, Policy and Public Affairs Manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “A baby’s experiences can have a profound impact on the rest of their life. Yet, this is a stage of life that is too often overlooked and under-supported.

“We recognise that advances in early years policy have been made in the last decade in Scotland but this needs to be matched with funding. Providing early support to families can help build positive relationships that prevent harm and, in turn, change life trajectories. This is fundamental to transforming childhood and creating equality in Scotland.

“People don’t need to be seasoned knitters to support our campaign, in fact they could even sew or crochet the booties. And we will appreciate all the support we can get to help us fight for a fair start for every child.”

To support the Fight for a Fair Start campaign by creating two or more pairs of baby booties sign up here. People will then receive an email, which includes patterns and a postal address to send the booties to by August 31.

People can also support our Fight for a Fair Start campaign by signing our petition here.

Epic awards nominations open

The UK’s body for championing participation in creative cultural activities, Voluntary Arts, has launched the Epic Awards

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Thousands of people across the UK give up their time to share their passion for arts and creative activities. Leading groups of young and old, these people improve the lives of millions of people across the country.

The Epic Awards offer the opportunity to celebrate and reward these volunteers and groups and spread the word about the huge range of activities enriching our lives in all areas of Scotland.

  • UK and Ireland’s premier award for amateur cultural groups, the Epic Awards opens for nominations.
  • A winner and a runner up will be chosen from Scotland, England, Northern & Republic of Ireland, and Wales.
  • Over 60,000 voluntary arts groups across the UK and Republic of Ireland are eligible.
  • Groups can nominate themselves online at epicawards.co.uk
  • Closing date for nominations is 7 December.
  • The Epic Awards will be presented at a dinner in Cardiff on 2 April 2016.
  • Once the shortlist is announced there will also be a People’s Choice award voted for by the public, a Peer award in which groups vote for each other and additional awards for excellent work with young people and disabled people.
  • The Epic Awards are run by Voluntary Arts to recognise and reward excellence and innovation in the amateur cultural sector.

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Are you involved in an arts or crafts group that is doing something new and interesting? Have you struck up an interesting collaboration, inspired others or solved a problem in your home town?

From singing to knitting, amateur dramatics to painting, over 60,000 amateur arts groups across the UK and Republic of Ireland are making a difference to lives in their local areas. The Epic Awards shines a spotlight on their achievements.

You can nominate your group for an award by filling in the form on www.epicawards.co.uk and put them forward for national recognition and a range of prizes from financial support to advice, partnership and performance opportunities.

Winning groups have usually run initiatives or activities that involve interesting collaborations, or engage with their local community or beyond, undertake creative activity that inspires others or increases participation, or use new ideas in innovative ways.

Last year’s Scottish winner, Kirkcudbright Art and Crafts Trail (below), is a volunteer-led arts trail which has grown to include over 100 venues filled with work created by over 200 participants attracting audiences from far and wide.

kircudbright

Kirkcudbright Art and Crafts Trail’s Pauline Saul reflected on what winning the Epic Award meant for the group. She said: “We were delighted to be short listed for the Epic Award for Scotland. When the email came saying that we had won we were extremely proud of our achievement, wanting to run outside and tell everyone!

“The Epic Award has given the trail some good publicity through local papers and town folk have been really pleased both for us and for Kirkcudbright. Following the Epic Award we have grown in confidence, and become more forward thinking, planning a Christmas event and our theme for 2016.”

Last year’s runner-up in Scotland DD8 Music is a group run by volunteers in Kirriemuir, which provides free lessons, jams and recording equipment for young people. DD8 Music also picked up the UK wide award for exceptional work with young people.

The public have their chance to vote and award a prize to one of the shortlisted groups through The People’s Choice Award. Last year’s winners were Knitted Knockers UK, a group of over 650 people across the UK who co-ordinate online to create and send 100 per cent cotton breast prostheses to women who have had mastectomies.

Jemma Neville, director of Voluntary Arts Scotland, said: “The Epic Awards demonstrate the scale and diversity of self-led creative cultural activity in Scotland. From volunteer-led festivals to community radio stations, and poetry groups to choirs, there are creative people across the country with the passion and initiative to provide opportunities for people to take part in voluntary arts activity. I strongly encourage groups thinking of applying to do so.”

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said: “The Voluntary Arts Epic Awards showcase excellent examples of inclusive and local participation in the arts and the initiative and drive of many dedicated volunteers across the country who set up and run thousands of arts and cultural groups.

“Voluntary arts contribute much to Scotland’s rich and varied cultural life and Voluntary Arts Scotland’s support helps enable more people to get involved in creative activities.

“These awards demonstrate an ongoing commitment to ensuring that communities across Scotland are supported to create and participate so that all the hard work and imagination that contribute to the cultural life of our communities, often undertaken by volunteers, is recognised.

“I’m looking forward to hearing more about the exciting work taking place the length and breadth of Scotland in the run up to this year’s awards and encourage Scottish nominations to be put forward.”

The Epic Awards are supported by Spirit of 2012, an independent trust created to sustain the spirit and opportunities from London 2012, and are themselves supporting BBC Get Creative. Spirit has also helped to create two new categories of Epic Award as well as the Epic Places project. Voluntary Arts also acknowledges funding from Arts Council England, Arts Council Wales, Creative Scotland and Arts Council Northern Ireland.

Debbie Lye, chief executive of Spirit of 2012, said: “We at Spirit are delighted to be supporting the Epic Awards again in 2016. I was blown away by the sheer breadth of high-quality award nominations last year – it’s clear we’ve got a voluntary arts scene to be proud of.

“The Epic Awards really do showcase the cream of the UK and Ireland’s amateur artistic and cultural crop, and I am eager to see who’s in the running in 2016. Best of luck!”

Remember that closing date for nominations: Monday 7 December