My Nursing Home visits today!

Good Evening everyone!

Thanks so much for visiting 'SIBOL' today.  It's been a busy day but one very rewarding indeed.

As I had got about 58 'Sunshine Blankets' ready to be given out to Nursing Homes I rang up the first one on my list. I have noticed the home  many times while driving in the car so I thought I would give them a ring to see if they would like any Blankets. The Home is 'Grey Cables' in Acocks Green, Birmingham.

I explained all about our Group and our beautiful Blankets and the Lady on the phone was only too pleased to receive them.  I asked if everyone would like a Blanket she was over the moon!

I first of all went in with our leaflets to introduce myself and then went back out to the car. As you can imagine there were a lot of boxes to carry. I had 40  Blankets in total to give out which I had got ready earlier.

 When the first box was put down on the floor the members of Staff including the Manager  gathered around. They just couldn't get over such wonderful Blankets. I took a couple out of the box to show them one was the 'Diamond Jubilee' Blanket and the other was 'Radiating Rainbow!'. Absolutely amazed at all your fantastic work. I explained all about my Grandmother living to 103 and why I started the project and they found the story behind the Blankets really interesting. They all loved the cards and ribbons too!

I was invited to have a look around and meet some of the Residents which was lovely. In particular a Lady called Vera. She was sitting with her friends at a table waiting for their lunch. Dawn the Lady who was showing me around gave them a Blanket each. They absolutely loved them! They wanted me to thank you all and they kept saying how much they liked them. Vera herself enjoys making knitted squares and she asked Dawn if she would pop up to her room and fetch down a bag full of knitted squares which she wanted to give me for our Blankets. She wanted me to put them to good use. I know I have put a stop on squares until January next year, but I couldn't  resist taking these off Vera.

Vera had the 'Fruits' Blanket. Her friends had 'Butterfly Bush' and also 'Target'.  They kept saying how terribly kind it was of you all!

I was invited to look around the Home and afterwards I had a cup of tea with Dawn. I was telling her all about our work and the Olympic Blanket and I have promised her some photos of it.

Vera is going to make some more squares now and they will be ringing me to go and collect them. As I said to Dawn making little squares is something for Vera to do and it keeps her mind active and I know she thoroughly enjoys making them. At one time a Lady came in to pick the squares up but she hadn't been in for a long time. So now she can give them to me. It's an interest for her isn't it?

I thanked them very much for accepting the blankets on your behalf they loved them! Thanks everyone!

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After lunch  I rang up 'The Green Nursing Home' in Kings Norton, Birmingham. This one once again is very near to my home.

I asked the Member of Staff if they would allow me a photo as I explained it's very important to me to show you where your Blankets end up! She was only too pleased.

Once again the Lady on the telephone was very pleased indeed that we wanted to donate some Blankets and I said I would go straight up to take them. I took 10 Blankets on this occasion but I said we could do some more for them. Once again a great selection of Blankets were given to them. As soon as I walked in the Lady said how lovely there were! She was very happy indeed to accept them and didn't mind having her photo taken either which was lovely!

She has got my contact details and I'll be contacting them again when we have some more ready.

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When I came home I decided to get the last Blankets ready for the courier on Friday. These 8 Blankets are ready for the off.

Our Blankets have been very well received once again. I would like to thank everyone that has sent me in squares and indeed for the beautiful donations of Blankets that have come in to my home. We have a lovely Knitting and Crocheting Group and it has brought us all so many hours of pleasure, but when like today I have been out and visited these lovely homes it makes me extremely proud of you all to know that we are making a difference to an Elderly person's life. Very often a Blanket can give such a lot of comfort whether it's used while sitting in a room or indeed outside and I can't tell you how much everyone liked them! So thank you all very much and shall we carry on the good work? I think so. Today has 'personally' done me the world of good and I am determined now to get these bags made up so we can start a fresh collecting squares in the New Year.

I would like to thank the homes for their hospitality and good wishes.
My room is practically empty upstairs, I only have two Blankets one is  'Mae' to find a home for as I promised I would raise some money for that one. If anyone is interested 'Mae' is a beautifully knitted blanket made by a Lady in her eighties. Her own Mother had Alzheimer's and I would like to raise £20.00 for that one for her. All proceeds will go to Alzheimer's. It's a smaller Blanket made in Red, Blue and White. If anyone is interested then please mail me. Sue on sueatpigsty@talktalk.net

The other one 'One Heart From Around The World' is a Challenge Blanket and I want to keep this one to show to the Craft Group next year. Along with the other Challenge Blankets that we are hopefully going to finish making off sometime.  But now as our 'Sunshine Blankets' all 58 of them have found a home I will continue to work hard making the squares up so that we can start a fresh next year. I would like to thank 'SIBOLETTES' for helping me out with them.

Thanks everyone!

x Sue x

UPDATE Friday 15th.

I would like to thank SnazzyB (RAV) for the donation of yarn this morning. Very kind of you!