Families in need are benefiting from blankets Loughborough College students have spent months creating for them.
Many were picking up wool and needles for the first time ever but the 18 Childcare and Education students were determined to donate as many baby blankets as possible to Leicestershire County Council’s Child Protection Team.
“The students wanted to help young parents living in poverty so I helped teach some of them the skills they needed and we used lots of wool we had been given to knit squares and sew them together, creating as many blankets as we could.
“The students’ parents helped and we even had a lady from the town who heard about what we were doing and knitted for us too. Everyone put in so much work and in the end we produced 15 blankets, which was incredible,” said Kate Storr, who leads and lectures on the Childcare and Education diploma and degree courses at Loughborough College.
“Jenny Chalmers, who is a Support and Assessment Worker for the Child Protection Team, came in so we could present her with the blankets and she was able to anonymously share the experiences of the families she works with – children who do not even have a bed, let alone their own space, who would receive a blanket as one of their first ever possessions.
“Or babies who would be able to experience the freedom of being on the floor for the first time because they would have a soft, clean blanket to lie on.
“It really hit home with the students to hear how much difference they would be making in the lives of families in need. And I think the insight into the work Jenny does has encouraged some of the students to consider taking that pathway in their career.”
Jenny Chalmers added: “It was great to see the students at Loughborough College and receive the beautiful blankets they made.
“I passed on two to the family we discussed and they were warmly received.
“My colleagues were very impressed also and we have placed a couple of blankets in our Family Room for the children who attend contact at our office.
“The others will be found good homes so, once again, I would like to say thank you to the students at Loughborough College.”
Pictured: Loughborough College students present the blankets they have spent months creating to Jenny Chalmers from Leicestershire County Council’s Child Protection Team