The Warwickshire knit and natter group uniting to make blankets of …
A group of residents in a retirement village have come together to knit blankets for Ethiopian women who have experienced horrific childbirth-related injuries. The women of Great Alne Park are supporting the charity Hamlin Fistula UK.
The residents, who are aged between 70 and 82, have been diligently knitting squares that will eventually be assembled into blankets. They will go on to become treasured possessions for women in need living more than 5,000 miles from the residents’ Warwickshire[1] home.
So far, the knit and natter group has created three carefully crafted blankets for women who have suffered the traumatic childbirth injury obstetric fistula. Every patient who has surgery at the Hamlin Fistula hospital in Ethiopia will receive one of the comforting items.
Wool for the project was donated to the group by Diane Francis, enabling them to start work on the blankets. Diane Long, a long-standing resident and member of the Knit and Natter group, said: ”What initially captured my interest was its mission to support women and offer hope and aid healing.
“When Diane generously donated the wool, I immediately thought of the Hamlin Fistula Charity and its need for blankets.”
One of the knitted blankets carefully crafted by the women (Image: Great Alne Park)
Great Alne Park’s Village Manager Adam Hall said the generosity of residents in the retirement village never ceases to amaze him. He added: ”The Knit and Natter group showcases strong community spirit and global compassion, emphasising the power small acts of kindness hold.
“I’d like to personally thank Diane Francis for her generous wool donation and to all the dedicated ‘knitters’ who have contributed squares for the blankets.”
The United Nations Population Fund says obstetric fistula is a hole between the birth canal and bladder and/or rectum, caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without access to timely, medical treatment. It said it leaves women and girls leaking urine, faeces or both, and often leads to chronic medical problems, depression, social isolation and deepening poverty.
Helen Marriott, CEO, of Hamlin Fistula UK, told CoventryLive that the blankets symbolise the “love and care” that women receive while they are in hospital and represent their first step to recovery.
She said: ”We are so grateful to all the hardworking volunteers who take the time to knit beautiful blankets for our patients in Ethiopia. We treat over 3,000 women a year who have suffered from terrible birth injuries.”
To find out more about supporting women in Ethiopia by knitting for Hamlin visit hamlinfistuluk.org/knit[4].
For all the latest Coventry news sign up to our daily newsletter here.[5]
References
- ^ Warwickshire (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ I went to a Coventry Foodbank that’s ‘desperate’ for winter donations (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ Cov’s LGBTQ+ rugby team that is changing lives (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ hamlinfistuluk.org/knit (hamlinfistuluk.org)
- ^ here. (data.reachplc.com)