by Helen Holt
Timaru Creative Fibre members are giving teddies to the police and St John Ambulance.
The craft club has been knitting the “trauma teddies” for the past three months, as well as woollen singlets which will be given to Plunket.
Club president Heather Moss said members made items for a community organisation every year.
“We like to have a project to work towards each year.
“And we like to give to different groups each year, like in the past we have donated to Women’s Refuge and Presbyterian Support.”
Mrs Moss said the club hoped the teddies would comfort children after traumatic events such as a car accident.
” If they are given a teddy to hold, it will distract them from what’s happened or about to happen.”
She said the club gave the woollen items to the police and Plunket on Monday afternoon, and they were received with gratitude.
Timaru Plunket community services manager Jane Denley said the woollen singlets would be very well used.
“Anything warm is needed so much at this time of the year; as soon as we get these items in they will be going straight back out to clients.”
The crafts club was made up of passionate people who enjoyed making things out of wool.
“We’re passionate about wool,” Mrs Moss said.
“We could’ve used anything to make these teddy bears but we wanted to use wool.”
The club also did other kinds of craft, such as weaving.
Mrs Moss said many club members had individual craft projects, as well as getting together to work with the group.
“As a group we like to do something.”
Members got along well through their common love of making things, she said.
