October 2024 News

The Peace Crane Project

As we described in the last newsletter, we joined the Peace Crane project and Scrubbery volunteers and the children of the Oasis Academy folded 1000 origami cranes to make a senbazuru. This is now displayed in the foyer so do admire them on your next visit.

In the last news update we mentioned a request from a military hospital in Lviv who need custom clothing for in-hospital wear, specifically adapted for adults who have suffered life-changing injuries. The garments will have Velcro down the sides for easier access and Rosie is assessing the patterns supplied, to decide which could be best made by the Scrubbery. The patterns received include T shirts, trousers, boxer shorts and hoodies. Boxer shorts may be the first to add to our repertoire.

Scrubs

We have been introduced to Lana who works in London as a volunteer with Medical Life Lines UK. She has had a request from her grandmother in Ukraine, and has asked the Scrubbery to send scrubs to the Sports and Physical Rehabilitation Department of KharkivMED. A first shipment has already been sent.

Rosie is in the process of ordering two rolls of fabric for the next scrub lay to make more sets of scrubs for this request, and others. She is currently negotiating over the disproportionally high delivery costs from Lancashire, which is equivalent to buying enough fabric for a further 36 sets of scrubs. 

Shipments

The second October shipment to Ukraine has been delayed because Olga’s mother has unfortunately passed away recently. Olga is in our thoughts and we send her our sympathies.

Many thanks to Cat who did an emergency run with the overspill for our most recent shipment to catch the van before it left. The roof box was full as well.

We continue to collect clothes, Liza Rogers has been raiding the cupboards and wardrobes of East Sheen and tirelessly bringing them in using her little trolley each week. We also have had another car load of clothes from Gareth and his community in Forest Green, near Dorking in Surrey. Many thanks to Liza and Gareth and all who have been collecting or donating items. 

This week we have managed to arrange for some items to be shipped, as part of a convoy of 40 trucks taking 4x4s to Ukraine at the end of October. These 4x4s are not going empty, they are being filled with donated items. They try to fill the trucks with useful goods like; generators, first aid kits, tarpaulins, spades, tow slings, engine oil, jerry cans, chainsaws, jump leads, old phones, phone chargers, winter clothing and cable ties. 

This contact came about in the usual serendipitous way that things often work out for the Scrubbery. Susie, a friend in the Wild About Play nursery, based on the roof of the Oasis Academy, knew that we were collecting aid to send to Ukraine. She lives in a village in Wiltshire, and saw a call out in a local WhatsApp group from a local doctor who was joining this convoy and who was looking for things to fill his truck. Susie contacted him, even though she thought it might be tricky to deliver the items, it transpired that he has a house in Putney, not far from the school and is coming up this week. Furthermore he is happy to take many of the items we have collected.

Wishlist

We would be grateful for any spare white sheets as snow camouflage is now required for use on the camouflage netting. 

Photo by Masaaki Komori on Unsplash

Celebrating the story sack knitters

Many thanks to Mandy and her friends in the Strictly Knit1Purl1 knitting group. They have produced a beautiful collection for The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The story sacks contain a copy of the book as well as the lovely knitted caterpillars, a beautiful butterfly and the assortment of food he eats. This gives children a tactile as well as an audible experience when the book is read. 

Children’s clothes

Thank you to Cheryl and her group at Knit and Natter. They have knitted some children’s clothes in lovely colours, cosy for the winter and are now in Ukraine being distributed.