Shirley WI gets knitting for cold sailors

20/02/2008

Members of the Shirley Women’s Institute in Southampton were delighted when they recently received a surprise award from international seafaring charity, the Sailors’ Society.
 
Morag Gordon and Daphne White from Shirley WI were invited to a special service in London by the charity, which support seafarers all over the world, and were surprised to be awarded for their contribution to the annual Woolly Hat Week campaign.
 
Said a delighted Barbara Irish, President of Shirley WI: “We realise the importance and admire the Sailors’ Society’s work and are always very happy to help where we can. The Woolly Hat Campaign is of particular interest to us as we have a lot of talented ladies, who enjoy knitting, within our group.”
 
The popular annual campaign is aimed at all those who enjoy knitting and who can produce woolly hats for seafarers visiting our shores in the cold winter months. Last year, over 11,000 hats were given out in the UK.
 
Members of Shirley WI were very enthusiastic and were key contributors to the 2007 campaign, where they knitted many woolly hats and also helped to pack over 1000, which were distributed to seafarers over the Christmas period.
 
Shirley WI will also be contributing to the recently launched 2008 campaign and Barbara was eager to encourage other knitters to take up the challenge. She said: “Last year Shirley WI knitted 180 hats, we have already made a start for this year’s campaign and hope to beat that target. Hopefully our contribution will match that of others and I urge all knitters, whether experienced or a beginner, to get involved.”