Big knit event this year

RESIDENTS are urged to knit and purl like never before for Age UK’s Big Knit later this year.

Run alongside Innocent Smoothies, the campaign hopes to encourage people to create two million small hats for the smoothies, with Leicestershire knitters set a target of 52,000 hats.

Nationally, there have already been one million hats created to be-hat bottles, but a further one million miniatures are still needed to hit the incredible two million target for this year’s Big Knit campaign.

The woolly hats will be paired with innocent smoothie bottles and go on sale later this year - each be-hatted bottle will carry a 25p donation towards Age UK’s vital work to help support older people across the country.

Tony Donovan, executive director of Age UK Leicestershire and Rutland, said: “We know so many of you in our area love knitting and we’ve enjoyed seeing the range of colourful creations coming in so far – we’ve had traditional woolly hats, cute animals and even some well-known characters.

“But now we need you to carry on knitting for us and get as many hats to us as you can by July 17. We can’t wait to see what the two counties have in store for us.”

Each winter, one older person dies needlessly every seven minutes because of the cold. Every hat donated to Age UK Leicestershire and Rutland will help keep older people warm and well by funding essential local services.

For a pattern or more information on the Big Knit contact Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland on 0116 2992233 or log onto http://www.ageuk.org. uk/leics. Please send completed hats to Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland at Lansdowne House, 113 Princess Road East, Leicester LE1 7LA or drop them in at one of our shops by July 17.