Age UK – The Big Knit
The Big Knit campaign has returned and Age UK Leicestershire & Rutland is calling on the knitters and crocheters to get their knitting needles out again to help raise urgent funds for local older people most in need.
This is the 18th year that the Big Knit has been running and woolly warriors are needed again this year to craft some little hats to sit on innocent smoothie bottles. For each be-hatted smoothie sold, Age UK receives 25p, which will help the Charity make a big difference to the lives of older people.
With many of us spending lots of time at home at the moment it’s a great opportunity for stitching superstars to get crafting, or for knitting newbies to grab some needles and give it a whirl. The pandemic has had a huge impact on older people over the past year so Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland is in need of these little hats more than ever to help raise funds for its vital services.
Tony Donovan, Executive Director of Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland said: “We need the people of Leicestershire & Rutland to join us and help knit as many miniature hats as possible to help us hit our 74,000 target. It’s been a challenging time for everyone, but this is a really fun campaign to get involved in and it’s a great activity to do whilst we’re all spending more time at home.
“The money raised from these little hats will make a big difference to the lives of older people in our area, many of whom have been badly affected by the pandemic. Every hat knitted will help to fund our hugely important services, including Befriending and Loneliness support and our Last Orders Alcohol support project”
Tilly Mackintosh, innocent drinks, said: “We wouldn’t be able to do this year after year without the incredible support of knitters and crocheters like the ones in Leicestershire & Rutland. Thanks to those heroes, we’ve been able to help Age UK be there for older people for almost two decades. Hats off to everyone who’s made that possible.”
There are also six exciting new hat designs for this year, including a rainbow, rabbit, cupcake, pom pom, fox and bird. These knitting and crochet patterns are available to download, to find out more visit: www.ageukleics.org.uk
Ellis Kieran White
