Age Action and innocent drinks have launched the 2017 Big Knit, calling on the knitters of Ireland to produce 100,000 little hats. We’re woolly excited.
Over the past eight years the Irish public and our supporters have knitted an astonishing 390,000 hats and have helped raise €140,000 for Age Action which goes directly to funding our Care & Repair service.
This service supports volunteers carrying out free DIY jobs for older people and helping them stay safe and warm in their homes during our cold Irish winters.
People aged 65 and over are seven times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of colder temperatures, compared with those aged 18 to 44.
100,000 hats!
From now until 31 July 2017, innocent and Age Action are calling out to veteran knitters and newcomers alike, to pull up a comfy chair, grab their knitting needles & wool and cast-on for this brilliant cause.
Justin Moran, Head of Advocacy and Communications, said: “This year we are seriously upping the game. We’re looking for 100,000 hats and to do that we need every knitter in Ireland to get those needles clicking.
“They can be any colour, any design or look and we have plenty of patterns and ideas to spark your imagination at www.thebigknit.ie.”
Star knitter
Winnie O’Doherty, star knitter for the Big Knit and a member of an Age Action knitting group that meets in our shop on Camden Street every week says:
“I love knitting with the Age Action knitting group. I come here every week; I like the company. We’re great friends and we have a good natter. We really understand each other and give each other some good tips, not only on knitting.”
Bláthnaid McKenna, Brand Manager with innocent drinks Ireland, said: “Now in its 8th year, we're very proud of the Big Knit at innocent drinks as, through it, we've been able to donate €140,000 to Age Action and help older people stay well and warm in winter.
“This year, we’ve decided to make an even bigger difference, so, for the first time since the Big Knit started, we are aiming to put 100,000 little hats on our smoothie bottles.”
The knitty gritty
Every winter, as many as 2,000 older people in Ireland die needlessly because of complications due to the cold.
Last year’s donation of €20,000 funded 24,000 DIY jobs in 34 locations around the country, through Age Action’s Care & Repair programme.
All the hats are hand-knitted by people around Ireland.
From October 2017, the nation’s little hats will appear on innocent smoothie bottles (250ml) across the country. For each bottle sold wearing a little hat, innocent Drinks will donate 30 cent to Age Action.
Hats can be sent to The Big Knit 2017, innocent drinks, Fruit Towers, 2 Ballsbridge Park, Dublin 4 or dropped into any of Age Action’s shops or offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Monaghan.
