Kind-hearted knitters have got their needles into action after an appeal to find more clothes for premature babies.
Thousands of tiny items of clothing have been donated to new parents at the John Radcliffe Hospital after it was revealed that they could not find clothes small enough for their tiny premature babies.
The knitting campaign was first started by women at the Wantage Day Centre in 2007. When the group began struggling to keep up with demand before Christmas, an appeal was launched in local newspaper the Oxford Mail.
An army of knitting volunteers came forward to help and now the group has been able to give regular donations of tiny blankets, hats, miniature booties and other brightly coloured baby items to the Special Care Baby Unit at the Oxford hospital.
All the items are much smaller than any baby clothes that can be bought in the shops.
Grandmother-of-four Margaret Fell, 65, from Grove, began the knitting campaign in 2007. She said she has been overwhelmed by the recent response from volunteers, adding: “The group has lost five members this year, and so is constantly on the look out for new knitters.
“Mums often come to hospital unprepared for an early arrival. Over the years many tiny souls have been clothed by the extraordinary skill of the volunteers.”
Eileen Breakspear, 69, of Berinsfield, was one knitter who recently came forward after hearing of the campaign. She said: “I love knitting. I just can’t be sitting down doing nothing. I like to keep busy.”