#KnitWellbeing2021
Meet Calamari SHANARRI, the wellbeing octopus who is helping children aged 3-7 learn to talk about their welfare in a fun and engaging way.
SHANARRI stands for Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible and Included, which are the wellbeing words used by the Scottish Government’s Getting it Right for Every Child policy (GIRFEC), an important scheme to ensure that all children learn to live a healthy, happy and safe life.
HOW DID IT START?
Tanya Anderson was working as the GIRFEC Development Adviser for CrossReach Children and Family Services in Scotland in 2017 and wanted to create a fun way for children to learn these wellbeing words. As there are eight words and octopuses have eight arms, Calamari SHANARRI was born! Over 300 Calamari’s have now been knitted and donated to nurseries and primary schools across Scotland and England.
SUCCESS STORIES
Between January and March, a team of volunteers knitted 50 Calamari’s that were given to every pupil in a primary school in Aberdeenshire on the day they returned to school after lockdown.
NEW CAMPAIGN
The #KnitWellbeing2021 campaign was launched in January after the announcement that schools would be closed until March. Although children are starting to go back to school now, there are still lots of requests coming in.
HOW CAN I HELP?
This past year has been a di cult one for everyone, and children are no exception. These octopuses can help them ensure they have a great quality of life, and feel confident enough to take on new activities and adventures. If you’d like to make some Calamari’s, the pattern can be found at www. startatthebeginning.co.uk/ KnitWellbeing and is simple enough for beginners. Contact Tanya at hello@ startatthebeginning.co.uk to find out where to send your completed Calamaris.