Donated blankets give more than warmth

Home-knitted blankets are increasingly in demand over the colder winter months, but for one North Shore organisation they mean much more.

The Wilson Home Trust, a charity based in Takapuna’s Wilson Centre, supports children with disabilities and their families.

They gift a donated blanket to every child who stays in the home for rehabilitation.

The blankets are made by the North Shore sector of a nationwide organisation called Peggy Purl In Your Community.

According to Wilson Home coordinator, Anne Nieuwland, children in the home have often just been through major surgery and have casts or other recovery aids that they don’t want to look at, so the blankets are used to cover up.

However, she added that some children are “so in awe of them, they don’t want to use them”.

The blankets are gifted to children all year round, and they take them home as a “memento” of their development through their time in the home.

Due to the amount of children who are supported by the charity, the blankets go quickly.

One of the many Peggy Purl blankets gifted to a child entering the Wilson Home for rehabilitation. Photo: Supplied by the Wilson Home

Judith Langton, the convener for the East Coast Bays sector of Peggy Purl, said the North Shore knitters donate their bright blankets to anyone in need, but predominantly have children in mind.

The groups are made up of knitters who have time on their hands to help create blankets for free.

Some Peggy Purl members knit entire blankets, or strips to join together, and some even make individual ‘Peggy squares’ for patchwork blankets, hence the name of the group.

Ms Langton said they only donate their blankets to people in need in their community as “charity starts at home”.

The East Coast Bays convener said “that’s what got me interested . . . everything you do is going to go back into your local community”.

The blankets are also gifted to Torbay Plunket to be given to families in need.

Michelle Morgan, a spokesperson for the organisation, said they receive a lot of donations, but there is still a high demand for “extras” coming into wintertime.