A group of youngsters from a Kimnel Bay housing estate who turned to pensioners for help in learning how to knit are celebrating after winning a national award.
More than a dozen pupils of Ysgol Maes Owen joined members of the craft group at the Chester Avenue Community House in an effort to learn how to knit one purl one cast on.
The Knitterbugs project is run by Chester Avenue Community House Volunteers with support from housing association Cartrefi Conwy and Communities First.
The pupils designed and made a blanket which included their school name, along with older members of the craft group.
As a result they were named as the winners of the intergenerational category at the Children and Young People Now Awards at the famous Hurling ham Club in London.
According to Cartrefi Conwy’s Vicky Welsman, Chester Avenue Community House Development manager, the award was thoroughly deserved.
She said: “There were two London projects shortlisted in the same category and I honestly didn’t expect us to win. I was amazed though when they announced we had won. Such wonderful recognition for everyone involved as they all worked so hard. It has been a privilege to be part of this project.
“The Chester Avenue Knitterbugs craft group has been running for a number of years after originally being set up by Communities First.
“Cartrefi Conwy began supporting the group last autumn and soon began working with the Knitterbugs group with the local school children.
“A month later we began a 12-week project to knit a blanket depicting the school name, which now hangs in the school. The project saw 12 youngsters, boys and girls, working with older volunteers from our craft group.
“I was so thrilled with the project and the way the children worked and interacted with the older members of the craft group that I entered them into the Young People Now Awards.
“We couldn’t manage to take everyone down to London for the award ceremony but a couple of the volunteers, Jo O’Keeffe, Jennifer Nolan, Sharon Sadler and Sharon’s daughter, Jessica Mills, managed to go along as well as Ysgol Maes Owen head teacher Catrin Foulkes.
“It was a special night and we are all absolutely thrilled to have won this prestigious award. We are now starting a new project which involves making a mosaic for the school.”
Communities First Development Worker Jen Sharp is delighted Cartrefi Conwy continued supporting the Knitterbugs project.
She said: “We are in the process of setting up a new Knitterbugs project with Cartrefi Conwy on the Peulwys estate involving children from Ysgol Tan y Marian.
“If that project proves even half as successful as the Chester Avenue Knitterbugs project has done, then it will be very worthwhile.”
The headteacher of Ysgol Maes Owen, Kimnel Bay, Catrin Foulkes, says the Knitterbugs project proved to be an excellent way for the school to develop links with the community.
She said: “It also helps us to show pupils that age is no barrier. Knitting is a cheap and affordable skill and our pupils learnt about tolerance and helped them understand older people.
“I’m really pleased with the work we have done with Cartrefi Conwy and their commitment to building community and agency links. It isn’t enough for us to just be a school. We need to be a central and important part of the community.
“The work our children have done with the Chester Avenue Community House volunteers has been fabulous and we are already working on our next project which will be a mosaic.”
Chester Avenue Community House volunteer and craft group member, Jo O’Keeffe, 50, says working with the Ysgol Maes Owen children had been a fantastic experience.
She said: “I went to London for the award ceremony and it was a very special night. We won the award for the intergenerational nature of the Knitterbugs project and it has certainly been a pleasure working with the children.
“We started the project at the Chester Avenue Community House and then took it to the school. I was amazed none of the children dropped out, their enthusiasm was plain to see.”
Cartrefi Conwy tenant, Kimnel Bay town councillor and volunteer, Sharon Sadler, 44, attended the London award presentation with her daughter, Jessica Mills, 10, who is also a Knitterbugs member.
Sharon said: “Working with all the children has been fantastic. Knitting is an old skill we were able to pass on and the children picked it up really quickly.
“Seeing the two very different generations working together had been amazing and has resulted in a better understanding of each other.
“The blanket with the school name and logo has been a wonderful effort. The children each knitted a square which was then included in the blanket once it was finished.”
Jessica said: “I could sort of knit before I came to Knitterbugs but not properly. It’s nice to do things with friends and it’s been nice to make friends with older people. They really helped us and made us laugh they have been loads of fun.
“I haven’t got grandparents that I can talk to so it’s been nice to chat to older people and learn from them.
“The awards evening in London was fantastic and I really enjoyed it. I think winning the award was very special.”
Cartrefi Conwy tenant, Moyra Othen, 74, was the oldest volunteer who took part in the Knitterbugs project.
She said: “It really has been wonderful and I really got to understand the children and something of their generation. I hope we can continue working together in the future. It has certainly kept me feeling young!”
