Volunteer knitters make sure newborn babies at Middlemore Hospital are warm this winter

More than 2000 dedicated knitters nationwide are now working to keep Kiwi newborns safe and warm.

The Middlemore Foundation Wool Programme initiative was started in 2000. Its Knitter Natter volunteers donate knitted booties, hats, mittens, vests, and blankets to help keep premature babies and newborns in hospitals and the community warm.

One of the volunteers is Jane Bold, who has kept countless newborn babies warm with her knitting over several years.

“I like knitting for newborns, because the creations that you can make are nice and small and you can get through them easily,” says Bold.

Knitting has always brought Bold happiness, but supporting this cause gives her craft true meaning, she says.

NZ child poverty data shows many families experience material hardship, including lack of suitable clothing and other basic essentials.

“It's important if you have some time, some money and some skills to use them to help other people who may be more in need,” says Bold.

An annual Knitter Natter event at Middlemore Hospital sees knitters to come together and donate their pieces all at once.

“It’s a good time for the knitters, who don't really know each other, to socialise, chat and ask each other questions.

“To enjoy the morning tea, listen to the speakers and know that our work that we're doing is actually going out and being used,” says Bold.

At Middlemore Hospital, the demand for newborn clothing is constant.

“Babies don’t arrive on a schedule, and many come earlier, or full term in more complex circumstances than expected.

“Emergency admissions, cold nights in ED, unexpected NICU stays; all of these create immediate need,” says a spokesperson for Middlemore Wool Foundation.

Although the majority of knitting is for premature babies, common newborn sizes are just as important.

“Bigger sizes are often needed just as much, babies who grow quickly, larger newborns who skip tiny sizes altogether, and toddlers needing warm layers while battling illness,” says the spokesperson.

Every donated item makes a real difference, and “there is never a point where the need disappears”, they say.

Like many others who knit for Middlemore babies, Bold says it is being able to help that keeps her going more than anything.

“I think these acts of kindness are important because if it's something I can do and it will benefit someone else, then I'd like to do that,” says Bold.

“Because at the heart of it, this isn’t just about wool. It’s about a community showing up for families in their most vulnerable moments and saying, ‘You’re not alone. Your baby matters. And we’re here’,” says the foundation spokesperson.

According to its 2024-2025 performance report, the foundation also raised $1,011,983 for equipment at the hospital, $179,537 for its Pacific Workforce Fund and $238,097 to improve patient experience.