Sheltered housing tenants knit for poverty-stricken people worldwide

Tenants at a very sheltered housing development have been putting their knitting skills to good use, making blankets to help keep people in poverty warm this winter.

A dedicated group of tenants and volunteers at Bield’s Dickson Court in West Calder, West Lothian, Scotland have been getting crafty for Blythswood Care charity, who send the blankets to some of the poorest parts of Europe, Asia and Africa.

The group is made up of seven tenants and seven ladies from the local community, who knit patches for blankets throughout the year. They are then sewn together into up to 100 blankets a year by other residents before being shipped.

Seventy-year-old Eileen Milne, who runs the craft group, which meets weekly says: “The blankets go wherever they are needed, so it’s good to know they will be helping people keep warm in some of the coldest and poorest places in the world.

“It also benefits the residents at Dickson Court as it’s great to have something to be actively involved in. The project creates a real sense of community for everyone because the other residents get involved when the blankets are stitched together. It really helps bring everyone together.”

Bella Kirk, an 88-year-old tenant who has been living at Dickson Court for ten years, says: “I thoroughly enjoy attending the craft group.

“I’ve been a member of the group since it first began in 2005 and although I’m not as able to knit now as I used to be, I still like to attend. It’s really great being involved in something like this.”

Bield is a registered charity that provides quality housing and services for around 20,000 older people across 23 local authority areas in Scotland.