Have you seen a knitted star?

HUNDREDS of knitted stars have been appearing around Belper – but what do they mean?

The stars are often knitted but many have been sewn and some even come in the form of little stuffed cushions.

Each comes with a tag which tells the finder that the star is a free gift to take home, making them a lovely addition to the Christmas tree.

The tags are signed from the Churches Together in Belper group and printed on the reverse side is the hashtag #FollowTheStar.

The Rev Anne Stratton, of St Peter’s Church, said her congregation and those of seven other churches had spent months creating the stars.

She said: “We think there are about 2,000 stars across Belper. I have been trying to think about how many people have been involved. It must be almost 200.”

Mrs Stratton said she was pleased many people had put their time and effort into the project. She said: “We had one lady from a retirement home The Rev Anne Stratton and some of the knitted stars whose son arrived with a bag full for us. Everyone from young people to 99-year-olds have been creating them for us.”

Mrs Stratton, who has been vicar at St Peter’s for almost a decade, said: “As fast as we can put them out people are finding them. If you spot one you are doing quite well.

“We have put them outside around Belper. The principal spots are outside the churches but we are also putting them in and around the town.”

Mrs Stratton said that, in addition to offering a gift to the people of Belper, the stars had another meaning – to highlight the Christian aspect of the festive season.

She said: “The idea is that it’s a blessing from Churches Together – a gift from us to the people of Belper. People forget why we have Christmas, under all the tinsel and the Father Christmas stuff. We hope people will realise that the meaning of Christmas is not just about mince pies and presents.”

The churches involved are St Peter’s, St Mark’s, St Swithun’s, Christ Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Belper Baptist Church, Belper Central Methodist Church, and Belper Community Church.