Blankets for Ipswich

On Saturday 24th May, we hosted a knitting and crochet workshop to kickstart our “Blankets for Ipswich” project with Craft Forward CIC. We welcomed a group of wonderful knitters & crocheters at St. Stephen’s Church to make unique squares for the blankets. It was lovely to bring people of all ages together to get crafty, connect, teach each other and exchange knowledge along the way. Thank you to Caitlin Whittaker and the fantastic team at Brighten The Corners for letting us host our workshop at St. Stephen’s Church, the perfect cosy and creative space in Ipswich.

Don’t worry if you missed out – our next Blankets for Ipswich event will be a picnic at Christchurch Park (weather-permitting) on Saturday 12th July from 12pm-3pm. You can find us on the green facing the entrance of Christchurch Mansion. For more info and possible weather-related changes, follow us on Instagram – www.Instagram.com/azitaiscrafting. Keep an eye out for how to get involved with the project, outside of our events – coming soon!

Our finished blankets will be going to fantastic local charities, this winter: Lighthouse Women’s Aid for the women and families affected by domestic abuse living in their safe, supportive refuge and Suffolk Refugee Support caring for newly arrived families in Suffolk living in asylum dispersal accommodation.

Amy co-founded Young Artists in Suffolk and is a freelance creative practitioner, passionate about building community and making the arts accessible to young people here in Ipswich.

“Since the pandemic, knitting and crochet have become popular hobbies for young people ages 16-30 and it is exciting to bring people from across generations together here in Ipswich to reinvent the idea of a “craft circle” or “knit and natter”. Crafting provides a gentle activity to build connection, plenty of natural talking points and a common purpose. At the event at St.Stephen’s, it was lovely to be a part of an intergenerational group as we exchanged tips and embraced the joy of crafting together. We all felt a huge sense of achievement seeing our squares laid out at the end – with everyone’s unique styles reflected!”

Azita is a newly qualified doctor, with a keen interest in the intersections between health, creativity, and community, as well as the positive impact of social prescribing within general practice.

“Individualism within our society can exacerbate already poor mental health. Often embarrassed by what they are struggling with, people begin to further isolate themselves due to societal expectations of self-sufficiency, making them even more vulnerable. Community initiatives are vital to signpost towards, in combination with other conventional therapies, as they can make a huge difference in combating loneliness and prevent further isolation. Our event and others like it create a safe transitional space for people to reach out, meet new people, try something different, and open up. What makes this project special is that the benefits go both ways: our participants get a sense of community from working together whilst we create something that will benefit local people in need. Any contribution, square or otherwise, nurtures an important sense of purpose and pride. This can go a long way against some of the feelings of stagnation when experiencing chronic mental illness.”

Written by Amy and Azita – Blankets for Ipswich

Who wrote this about Ipswich?

Miranda Acres

Miranda has been a Freelance Marketing and Design Consultant for more years than she cares to remember, supporting local start-ups, SMEs and charities. A passionate founder of Ipswich.love. Huge supporter of Ipswich's bid for City of Culture 2029. Born, bred and choosing Ipswich.