Hospital praises Darlington woolen wonders

Published by Neil Shaefer for Railway Housing Association in Housing and also in Communities

Prolific knitters at a Darlington sheltered housing scheme are ensuring their local hospital never runs out of baby clothes.

The ‘Knit and Natter’ group at the Railway Housing Association-owned Tempest Anderson House, in Brinkburn Road, have been meeting every week for over ten years to knit baby clothes.

All the clothes are donated to the Friends of Darlington Memorial Hospital to sell in the shop the charity runs.

With around 500 items of clothing being donated by the group each year it is estimated the group has been responsible for knitting well over 10,000 jumpers, hats, gloves and boots for babies in the town.

The group, which is made up of around half a dozen regulars, initially started making baby blankets to send to Bosnia, but they switched to knitting clothes for the hospital after learning of the demand from new parents.

One of knitters, Ivy Holliday, said: “We enjoy getting together each week to have a chat, a coffee and a biscuit and to make clothes for the shop at the hospital.

“Because we have all been knitting for so long, we can make the clothes very quickly and it’s nice to know that so many babies have worn them over the years.”

Alan Charlton, of the Friends of Darlington Memorial Hospital, said: “Every fortnight we give Ivy and her team of knitters some wool and she always comes laden with bags of clothes they have knitted.

“The clothes always sell well and the money we make from them is invested directly back into the hospital.

“The knit and natter group at Tempest Anderson House is full of lovely people and we are so grateful for their hard work and support over the years.”