Numbers of people using New Hope Kitchen double
Knitters invite new members to drop in
A CLOSE-‘KNIT’ group says its weekly ‘meet and make’ sessions in Oban are open to all.
So far there are only women turning up at Oban’s New Hope centre on a Wednesday afternoon to knit, crochet and craft, but more men would be welcome.
‘Men would be welcome – absolutely. It’s such a relaxing thing to do and we all need that bit of therapy – men or women,’ said Ada Daly, who helped set up the group, which is still deciding on a name for itself.
Lots of balls of wool have been handed in but the group still needs donations of needles to keep clicking.
‘One of the ideas is for us to make things out of wool that has been donated to us then sell them to raise funds for New Hope, when there are any charity events.
‘People can make things of their own here as well. It’s an afternoon where we can get together, make things and share ideas – it’s more of a Wednesday blether. If anyone gets stuck there’s always someone here to help them out,’ said Ms Daly.
Barabara Buchan, who moved from Devon to Oban 16 years go, is a regular at the group. She said: ‘It’s the company and the friendship that I enjoy.’
And a new event called an evening blether starts on Tuesday March 6 from 7pm to 9pm. VOLUNTEERS at Oban’s New Hope project gave up more than 260 hours of free time to help the charity last month.
The total, which was spread over just 21 days in January, was announced at the annual general meeting on February 15.
The meeting was just two members short of the 15 people it needed to be able to make any decisions or take votes on the night, which means an extraordinary meeting will have to be called at a later date.
Chairman Stuart Chalmers told the meeting the number of people using the drop-in centre, since it moved to its new bigger premises on Soroba Road, had doubled in those six months.
‘This is a place of safety and refuge for our service users who have made this their home from home. We have only had very positive responses,’ he said, thanking everyone who helped.
He also described the project’s army of volunteers as its ‘most valuable assets’.
The meeting heard that latest accounts showed £94,000 had been carried forward from last year but, despite funds being inhand, they were largely already allocated with just the minimum being spent on administration and any legal fees.
Mr Chalmers said: ‘We are quite healthy but we have to keep on submitting grant bids. We have been successful in the past and I don’t see why that won’t keep going.’
Recent dionations from the public included a £500 gift from a Hogmanay party and £100 for a funeral collection.
‘People always seem to have us in their thoughts,’ said centre manager Lorraine MacCormick.
She reported the centre was now open five days a week and ‘would love’ to open at nights for dinners but just did not have enough staff. Opening on a Saturday was also on a wish-list but more funding would also be needed for that to happen.
‘We all need a little bit of hope in our lives,’ she said.
A new jobs club at Hope Kitchen has also helped more than 30 people so far, the meeting heard.
And details of a music night, crafting sessions and even a cat cafe were given as just some of the other latest user-led activities that had been introduced at the centre in the past months, said Lorraine.