South Yorkshire group awarded £10,000 to continue knitting winter clothes for the needy

A South Yorkshire group which has been knitting hats for babies and the homeless since 2017 has been awarded £10,000 to continue helping the needy.
By Yzabelle Bostyn
Published 30th Dec 2021, 09:33 BST
Updated 4th Jan 2022, 07:45 BST

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Val Jones started Heart of Knitting from her kitchen table in Aston, Swallownest.

It has since grown to five different groups where volunteers knit hats, gloves and blankets for those in need.

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Over the last four years they have provided over 15,000 hats to the maternity wing of Sheffield Teaching Hospital and to homeless charities like the Archer Project in the city centre.

Val Jones, 60, started Heart of Knitting from her kitchen table in Aston, Swallownest.Val Jones, 60, started Heart of Knitting from her kitchen table in Aston, Swallownest.
Val Jones, 60, started Heart of Knitting from her kitchen table in Aston, Swallownest.

Ingrid Fry, from Swallownest, said: “The people to whom the hats are given, they read the labels, they want to know who knitted them a hat.

“It is very humbling, to talk to homeless people, and to give them something that you’ve made, it makes you get your priorities right.”

The group was recently awarded a National Lottery funded community grant of £10,000 to continue their work.

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They hope to use the grant for materials and teaching, so that even more people can learn to knit and provide hats for the needy.

Heart of Knitting also provided important social interaction in a time of isolation for many of its members during lockdown.Heart of Knitting also provided important social interaction in a time of isolation for many of its members during lockdown.
Heart of Knitting also provided important social interaction in a time of isolation for many of its members during lockdown.
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Val said: “We’ve knitted over 15,000 in four years, it's amazing, but I'm not after 20,000, I’m after people enjoying the group.”

During lockdown, the group not only helped South Yorkshire’s needy but provided important social interaction in a time of isolation for many of its members.

Diane Brookfield said: “It’s done a lot of good, mentally, for a lot of the older ladies because they were isolated.”

“It was a good life line for all of them.”

For more information about Heart of Knitting, visit their Facebook page here.

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Related topics:South YorkshireNational LotteryPolice