Media Release

Seniors with HOPE support Knit & Natter

In December 2008 I attended the Healthy Eating for Older People Xmas cruise and       enjoyed a festive night under the stars with local seniors to celebrate with HOPE. The Centre would like to take this opportunity to thank the HOPE committee and its cruise  participants for deciding to support the centre by donating the Xmas raffle on the night to us. We put the donation to good use and begun a Knit and Natter group open to the general public to knit squares for Wrap with Love.

Wrap with Love is an organisation which distributes handmade blankets to ward of hypothermia or provide comfort to people in need in Australia as well as over 75 countries around the world. This activity is an opportunity to bring  individuals in the community together to help others in need. It enables creative skills to be renewed or new skills to be learned and social points to connect and contribute.

The centre has hosted four sessions so far, bringing 55 adults and 32 children with  ages  ranging from 11 to over 8o years. All have enjoyed meeting over a pair of needles. Depending on individual knitting prowess they have contributed a little or a lot to create a unique square. While some of the knitting maybe a bit wonky when the squares are knitted and crocheted together they make a spectacular blankets to warm the soul of someone in need.

A highlight of the events has been the participation of Rozelle Public School students. The schools involvement has brought           together some children who don't have grandparents and older participants who wouldn't meet or work with young people. An unexpected benefit of the project. The Centre would like to thank the students and teachers for bringing an intergenerational component of fun to the activity.  

Thanks to Oz Harvest for providing our scrumptious lunches for free to our knitting     volunteers, and finally to Deb Welfare - a local activist, parent and quiet achiever who has been the driving force behind the success of our Knit & Natter at RNC.