Nannas knitting joy for the community

Every month a group of social knitters, the ‘Knitting Nannas’, gather at Canterbury League Club to knit together, have a good yarn and enjoy a warm cup of tea and snacks.

“The goal was to create an environment where senior clients’ needs were being met by creating connections with one another and squash social isolation,” said Hayley Orr, Community Engagement Officer of Bankstown Canterbury Community Transport (BCCT).

“The message we want to promote is wellness – we want to ensure that our senior community members are living an active, purposeful, healthy, and independent life.”

When the group comes together, participants work on their own knitting projects or, if they don’t have a current project, they knit blankets and big wraps for the homeless or charitable organisations; or make trauma teddies for children in local hospitals.

“Our clients are knitting items for premature babies in hospitals and knitting squares for Wrap with Love which then gets turned into blankets and then distributed within Australia and around the world to those experiencing extreme poverty, natural disasters, and war,” said Ms Orr.

BCCT helps facilitate this program by providing administrative support as well as low-cost transportation to participants, picking them up from their homes to bring them to the Club and returning them afterwards.

Aside from providing the venue, Canterbury supported this program with a $3,360 grant which helped cover catering, transport and administrative costs.

“Clubs play an important role in the community providing not just a hospitality destination, but also as a safe community haven helping to facilitate friendship, connection and social togetherness. Knitting Nannas are doing fantastic volunteer work and I’m sure their craft workings are bringing warmth and joy to our community,” said Peter Winchester, Chairman of Canterbury League Club.