Retirement community residents knit blankey to raise funds for Scarborough Hospital

A knitting group at a retirement community in Eastfield have shown their generosity and creativity by knitting a blanket and raffling it off to raise money for a local hospital project.
By Louise Hollingsworth
Published 19th Dec 2023, 16:42 BST
Updated 19th Dec 2023, 16:42 BST
L-R is Margaret Scythe, Alan Hiscox, Yvonne Lowe, Viv Butcher, Jean Pindar and Barbara Hill, with the blanket they made.L-R is Margaret Scythe, Alan Hiscox, Yvonne Lowe, Viv Butcher, Jean Pindar and Barbara Hill, with the blanket they made.
L-R is Margaret Scythe, Alan Hiscox, Yvonne Lowe, Viv Butcher, Jean Pindar and Barbara Hill, with the blanket they made.

The residents at Jazz Court , a retirement community run by Sanctuary Supported Living in Eastfield have been meeting regularly for knit and natter sessions, where they enjoy socialising and sharing their skills.

Over the past year and a half, they have been knitting squares for a blanket, which they finished just in time for their Christmas fayre.

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They decided to raffle off the blanket by asking people to guess the number of knitted squares it contained.

The lucky winner correctly guessed an impressive 72 squares, and then kindly donated an extra £10 to the cause, bringing the total amount raised to £70.

The money was then donated to the Autumn project at Scarborough hospital, which supports people on end-of-life care. The fundraising team at the hospital were delighted with the donation and sent a thank you letter to the residents, saying it would go a long way to helping the people they support.

One of the residents who contributed a knitted square for the blanket is 78-year-old Alan Hiscox.

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He learnt to knit in primary school, where the boys did knitting and the girls did woodwork, but he had not knitted for 70 years until he joined the sessions at Jazz Court.

Alan said: “I was a bit rusty at first, but I soon got the hang of it and I enjoyed making a square for the blanket. I think it’s a wonderful idea to raise money for the hospital’s Autumn project, as they do a great job of looking after people and their loved ones at a very challenging time.

"I’m still better at knitting than I am at woodwork, though!”

Yasmin Cox, one of the Wellbeing and Inclusion Assistants at Jazz Court, said: “We are so proud of our residents for their amazing achievement. They worked hard to knit a beautiful blanket and they’ve shown great kindness by donating the raffle money to the Autumn project.

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"Knitting is not only a fun and relaxing activity, but it’s also great for improving mental and physical wellbeing.

"Our knit and natter sessions are always a highlight of the week, and we look forward to continuing them in the new year.”

Designed to offer comfort, independence and peace of mind, Jazz Court offers everything you need to enjoy a happy, fulfilling retirement, including spacious one and two-bedroom apartments for rent, as well as on-site care staff, communal facilities and social activities.

For more information about Sanctuary Supported Living, visit their website here.

Related topics:Scarborough