Grab Bags
Every Wednesday at Welholme Works in Grimsby we host a free 2 hour session that allows people to come together and craft to their heart's content. We provided access to a lovely safe space with tea, coffee and always cake!
The group was born out of a need within Grimsby and Cleethorpes, and in particular the Heneage Ward to alleviate the issue of social isolation and is facilitated by Gemma of It Started With a Stitch . We know that there are members of our community who live on their own, or who are in stressful home life situations. They maybe have underlying health conditions or are caring for a loved one who does. Maybe they're a new mum, struggling with balancing home and work along with functioning as a parent and actually getting some time to just be themselves.
Take all of the above and then add in a global pandemic. One that is in our town, infecting people that we know and love. Then remove the ability to get together with other people and the support that offers. That's where we are right now, and we want to help where we can to make that better.
We've created Grab Bags, full of yarn supplies that we can safely deliver to doorsteps, following all of the current social distancing guidelines. We're not asking for payment in money from the people that these bags are given to, we're asking for a crocheted or knitted contribution to another of our ongoing projects - Blankets for the Homeless .
We've got more and more people joining to help us with the creation of blankets that we provide to local people and families who are vulnerably housed, the people who cannot afford to put the heating on when they need to. The people who are struggling with physical and mental ill health. The families with children who've never had the luxury of having their own blanket to snuggle up with.
We're asking for donations to keep us being able to take out these bags. To go into the community and provide those who are vulnerable or shielding with a way to help get back that connection to the community. The squares that they make for us allow us to support and further fundraise for those in immediate need within our towns. They also provide those who are making them with a sense of belonging to something bigger, and an ability to see the difference that they can make through the simple action of knitting or crocheting.
For less than £50 we can put together 40 grab bags. That's 40 people all regaining the sense of community and feeling immediately less isolated. If each of those people then just make us 2 squares each, that's another beautifully made blanket that will go on to do some much more.
We've set a target of £500 which will allow us to make up many more Grab Bags and deliver them to the doorsteps of the people who really need them right now and will let us carry on supporting the homeless blanket project as well as keeping all of our crafters mentally and physically active and well.
