Knitting Group Brings Comfort to Peterborough Hospital Patients
Fenland Woolly Hub aims to deliver 100 blankets for dementia and chemotherapy patients
A Cambridgeshire knitting group is working to deliver one hundred handmade blankets to Hinchingbrooke Hospital this year, aiming to bring comfort and sensory support to patients with dementia and those undergoing chemotherapy.
The Fenland Woolly Hub, based in Wimblington, encourages volunteers to knit woollen squares that are crafted into colourful blankets for hospital patients.
Kathleen Dabbs, who leads the project, says the impact goes beyond warmth.
“Somebody said it's so nice to crochet with a purpose because they feel included,” says Kathleen. “And there's another woman that we've had who's been waiting for an operation, and she said she enjoys the knitting because it takes her mind off things.”
Kathleen explains how the blankets make a difference:
“If you look in a hospital, all the beds look the same. But if a patient has their own blanket with a colour that they know and they can recognise it, it's much better for them."
"Some of the bigger blankets can be used for patients that are having chemotherapy because it makes them more sensitive to the cold."
"So for them to have a nice comfy blanket to wrap up in, it's going to make a big difference. It's nice to be part of that.”
The group is calling for more volunteers, especially those who may be isolated or unable to leave their homes, to help create the squares needed for the blankets.
The groups goal is to reach one hundred by the end of the year.