RESIDENTS of Great Alne Park retirement village in Alcester have united through their ‘Knit and Natter’ group to support the Hamlin Fistula Charity’s vital work in Ethiopia.
Eight residents, aged between 70 and 82, have been diligently knitting squares which will be assembled into warm blankets for women who have experienced childbirth-related injuries in Ethiopia.
Great Alne Park’s ‘Knit and Natter’ group gathers weekly, providing residents with an opportunity to socialise and rekindle their knitting skills.
The scheme gained momentum when resident Dianne Francis generously donated a large collection of brightly coloured wool to the ‘Knit and Natter’ group.
Fellow resident and a member of the ‘Knit and Natter’ group Diane Long said: “I’ve had a long-standing connection with this charity for many years.
“What initially captured my interest was its mission to support women and offer hope and aid healing.
“When Dianne generously donated the wool, I immediately thought of the Hamlin Fistula Charity and its need for blankets.
“The ‘Knit and Natter’ group believes in women supporting each other, and when the opportunity arose to contribute blankets through our knitting group, it felt like the perfect way to make a difference.”
Founded by surgeons Dr Reg Hamlin OBE and Dr Catherine Hamlin AC, the registered Hamlin Fistula Charity dedicates its efforts to treating and preventing childbirth injuries in Ethiopia.
Initially training midwives, it established Ethiopia’s first Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, providing hope to countless women.
Today, they oversee five regional hospitals, caring for over 60,000 women in partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, yet gaps in maternal health services persist.
The knitted squares have so far been combined to create three blankets for Ethiopian women who have endured childbirth injuries.
Visit: hamlinfistulauk.org/about-us/ for more information.
