08 March 2024
Residents at a FirstPort retirement development in Woolton have knitted and donated over 100 newborn baby clothes and raised hundreds of pounds over the past year for two Liverpool hospitals – and they’re hoping to match it once again this year.
The knit and natter group at Reynolds Court – an independent-living retirement development – have gone through hundreds of balls of wool to create a collection of baby clothes including jumpers, cardigans, hats, and blankets.
The baby items, which range in sizes, are then supplied to the neonatal units and charity shops at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, or they’re sold to residents or their family members for gifts.
Any money made from the clothing is then used to buy more supplies and the remaining funds are donated to the two hospitals.
FirstPort resident Angela Booth, 92, who helps to run the knit and natter group, said:
“We really do enjoy making the baby clothing and blankets. All apart from one of us are over the age of 90 and the group is such great company.
“We do have a bit of a natter over a cup of tea and biscuits, and we’ll often find we are reminiscing about our own childhoods.
“One of our members has described the group as her lifeline because it gives us something to do when we are alone and once a week when we meet up, we know we have each other’s company.”
Angela explained that they need to “crack on with knitting” as she plans to make just as many clothes again this year, adding:
“We’ve got lots on the go at the moment – I usually have a few ongoing at once and some of our group members can complete a cardigan for a baby within a week, some can even make two a week.
“We estimated that over the past couple of years we have sewn on at least 1,600 buttons. We do it because we love it!”
The group has been donating their knitted items to Liverpool Women’s Hospital for the past eight years.
She added:
“We began donating to Alder Hey last year and we have had lovely feedback from the staff there and at the Women’s Hospital who have thanked us for the clothes.”
FirstPort Development Manager Sue Ferguson Shaw said:
“The ladies are too modest and the knitted items they make are just beautiful and they really are very skilled. I purchase things to give as gifts because you will always find something lovely that cannot be purchased anywhere else – from gorgeous blankets, knitted toys with superb detail and even little knitted toys for my cat!”
