With a big freeze predicted this winter, Age Concern Peterbogough is calling on even more residents to get knitting to raise much-needed funds for the charity.

The Big Knit campaign brings in cash for Age Concern, which provides welfare services for the elderly, including advice on keeping warm, health and nutrition, help in the home and garden, and training courses at the welfare centre in Peterborough.

As part of the national campaign, people are asked to knit tiny woolly hats which will sit on Innocent Smoothie bottles that will be sold in Sainsbury’s stores in November.

For every hat that is sold, 50p will be donated to the charity to help older people keep warm in the cold months ahead.

Income generation manager for Age Concern Peterborough Jane Grant said: “The more hats we make, the more money we can raise.

“It really is fun, and relatively quick to do, as the hats are so little.

“Anyone can make a hat for us, and good knitters could use this opportunity to share their talents by teaching someone else how to make one.”

Jane added that the idea of knitting lthe hats was also intended to remind the elderly about the need to keep warm during winter months.

Since the campaign started three years ago, about 400,720 hats have been knitted.

Last year more than 230,000 hats were sent in by knitting communities across the country.

Age Concern Peterborough is now hoping to make the event even bigger by raising hundreds more to bring the national total of woolly creations to 400,000 in a bid to raise a staggering £200,000 for the charity.

The target for Peterborough is 12,000 this year .

Chief Executive at Age Concern Peterborough Pat Strachan said: “I love this idea of people knitting little hats for the benefit of others.

“I am sure they will enjoy getting together with friends or filling a few quiet minutes knitting and remember every hat knitted will raise money for vital services locally.

“More than 30,000 older people in England and Wales died of cold-related illnesses last winter, and Age Concern Peterborough is working hard to reduce these shocking statistics.

“The hats on the bottles will remind people of the difficulties faced by older people when the temperature drops.”

If you don’t want to make a hat yourself, then the charity is also welcoming donations of wool and size 10 knitting needles, which can be delivered to its offices at The Lindens, 86 Lincoln Road or to its shops in Bretton, Werrington and Millfield. Closing date for sending in the woolly items is October 10.

nCall Age Concern on 01733 564185 for a pattern and start sending in your hats straight away.

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