By Andy Dalton
Nimble fingers, knitting needles and spare time have been put to use for a good cause in anticipation of the cold winter weather and the festive season.
Volunteers have presented Leeds City Mission with dozens of hand knitted woolly hats and scarves to sell in their Christmas ‘pop up’ charity shop project during the countdown to Christmas day.
Based in the Mission Room in Mistress Lane at the end of Town Street in Armley, the 185-year-old charity is raising funds for their various community projects in the run up to Christmas. They have put on display a wide range of items which will make ideal Christmas presents.
Pauline Morris and friends Kath Blanchard and Judith Pritchard felt that they could put their skills and spare time to good use. In the last couple of months knitting needles have been hard at work. The result is a colourful array of scarves and woolly hats which will make ideal Christmas presents for people who experience budget pressures.
The West Leeds based charity is organising a number of special projects this Christmas – including their Christmas Kids Presents Project which will see very needy children receive a gift on Christmas day.
They are also supporting their chaplain who works in Armley Jail by providing prisoners with good books to read and cosy socks to wear. Money raised from sales will help finance these projects.
Coordinator Andy Dalton said that everyone was amazed at the quality of the woolly hats and scarves. He said: “They come in a vast choice of colours and the standard of knitting is excellent.”
He commended these City Mission knitting supporters who had worked so hard and put their skills to good use.
Local people could call in at the Mission Room any day midweek (not Wednesdays) between 10am and 3pm or on any Saturday up to Christmas 10am to 1pm. The knitted items will be on display along with a range of other presents to buy.
Leeds City Mission is one of the oldest charities in Leeds being in continuous existence since 1837. It is a multi-church Christian agency which organises a number of projects from its premises in Mistress Lane helping people at the margins of life.