It’s the return of the Big Knit campaign and Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland is calling on Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to join in and get knitting!
Whether a knitting ninja, purling pro, crochet connoisseur or just keen to have a go it’s time to get wild about wool and join the Big Knit. Now in its 15th year, the campaign is recruiting knitters to help create an impressive 1.6 million hats to adorn innocent smoothie bottles. For each be-hatted smoothie sold*, Age UK receives 25p, and that money helps the Charity support older people who are facing later life alone.
Tony Donovan, Executive Director of Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland said: “We need local people to join us and help knit as many miniature hats as possible this winter to help us hit our huge 80,000 local target. It’s such a fun campaign to get behind and it does so much to help older people in our area.
“The money raised will make a big difference to the lives of older people by funding our hugely important services and classes. These services, which include Day Care, dementia support, Men in Sheds and befriending amongst so many others, give local older people the chance to come along and make friends, learn new skills and most importantly have fun.”
Last year alone, more than one million hats were lovingly created nationally, with designs including the hugely popular unicorn, grizzly bear, fluffy sheep and desert island.
Bara Amouyal, innocent drinks, said: “The Big Knit has had such an incredible amount of support over the past 15 years and we are hugely grateful – we love seeing what miniature creations the nation can come up with! Through the Big Knit campaign, we want to do everything we can to make a difference to the lives of older people.”
For more information on The Big Knit contact Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland on 0116 2992233 or visit https://www.ageuk.org.uk/leics/get-involved/fundraising/the-big-knit/.
Please send completed hats to Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland at Lansdowne House, 113 Princess Road East, Leicester LE1 7LA or hand them in at any of their 24 shops or Resource Centres.
This year’s hat knitting patterns are available to download, to find out more visit: www.ageuk.org.uk/bigknit or pop into any of our addresses to request a leaflet
