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GO KNIT!
For elderly people and their pets...
So what's Go Knit! all about?
Go Knit! is our charity knitting window project. Lots of volunteers are hand-knitting scarves to go into Seasalt shop windows in October, which Kathryn will then display as creatively as ever, before the scarves are sold for charity.
The Cinnamon Trust
When it came to choosing who our Go Knit! project would support, we came across a charity that appealed to us in lots of ways.
The Cinnamon Trust is a really lovely charity that helps elderly people and their pets. Started in Cornwall in 1985 they now operate nationally from their headquarters in Hayle. Their first animal sanctuary at Poldarves Farm near Penzance was where Seasalt went to see the work they do.
"We are here to provide peace of mind," explains live-in manager of the sanctuary Margaret Stewart. "And that is genuinely what we do. Pets become everything to many elderly people who may have often lost everything else. To know that if they are in difficulty their pets will still be cared for in a home environment is of great relief and comfort."
Situated at Poldarves Farm, the sanctuary is a picturesque, converted pig-farm. There are no cages here, instead animals have a number of pet 'lounges' to grow old in, or to stay for temporary care before being reunited with owners who may have had a brief stay in hospital.
Great things they do!
The charity was set up in 1985 with the main aim to keep owner and pet together for longer. Volunteers help elderly pet owners with the day to day care of their pets whilst the sanctuary offers a home-from-home for animals whose owners may have been taken into hospital or sadly died.
Roz Smith, who works in Seasalt's Falmouth store said "I used to volunteer for The Cinnamon Trust whilst I was at school. They offer such a network of support to people, and experiencing this first hand made me realise how important this is."
Animals can contribute greatly to a person's quality of life, and never more so than for the elderly. So far 10,500 volunteers nationwide helped 12,000 people with 14,000 animals.
Chloe Wild, Seasalt's Marketing Manager said "Such supportive work is of great significance to the well-being of lots of elderly people and it's this care in the community aspect of the charity that really appealed to us here at Seasalt."
Some people who are no longer able to look after their pet are kept regularly updated by the Poldarves Farm team. "We try to keep people in touch, so we send them photos, write letters and speak to them on the phone at least once a week to let them know how their pets are" says Margaret.
By offering to pay all vets bills for animals registered, the charity also provides valuable financial assistance to those people that they help.
The Cinnamon Trust relies completely on public donations, and these contributions are not aided by local authorities.
Here at Seasalt we love this charity and the work they do, and we hope you will too!
How you can get involved?
By getting involved with Seasalt's Go Knit! project, you will be helping this charity continue in its work. We are asking members of the public, friends, family and knitting groups (everyone in fact!) to donate unused/unwanted wool for us and lots of volunteers to hand-knit scarves which will fill our windows throughout October and then be sold.
Please drop in your wool/scarf donations to your nearest Seasalt Store
Or by post to:
FAO Kathryn
Seasalt
1 Church Street
Falmouth
Cornwall
TR11 3DN
Wool needed ASAP
Scarves needed by 20th September 2008
Words and photos by Roz Smith
Can you knit a scarf for charity?
If so please donate one to Seasalt, where they will be displayed in our windows throughout October and sold to raise money for the Cinammon Trust - a lovely charity that helps elderly people with their pets.
Please drop in your wool/scarf donations to your nearest Seasalt Store
Or by post to:
FAO Kathryn
Seasalt
1 Church Street
Falmouth
Cornwall
TR11 3DN
Scarves needed by 20th September 2008
top: Margaret Stewart, Juliet Cheshire and Gaynor Wertylo, who run the Poldarves Farm sanctuary.
middle & bottom: some of Poldarves Farm's happy residents
