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KNITTING
FOR THE NEEDY
Isle
of Man, 02 August 2003
|
THE desperate plight of children in Serbia motivated a group of
pensioners to put their knitting needles into action.
Mona MacKellar, 77, of Port Erin, said she called on friends and family to
help and the pensioners put their needles and wool into action
(MW250703-21)
The four women have produced more
than 100 hats, gloves and scarves to help clothe the youngsters after the
daughter of one of the group, Mona MacKellar, told them what was
happening.
Mrs MacKellar's daughter, Linda Nowosielski-Slepowron, who is married to a
defence attaché at the British Embassy in Belgrade, explained her husband
Witek was in the town of Kragujevac at a ceremony to remember personnel
from the Scottish Women's Hospitals who died in Serbia during World War
One.
'Some of the children present were ill-dressed for the bitter winter
weather,' she said. 'I told my parents about this and they said something
must be done for the children.
'I explained Serbia is even poorer than its neighbours and coping with
more than 500,000 refugees. My parents mobilised friends and quickly there
were knitters in the Island, then in Scotland and England, making hats,
scarves and gloves.'
Linda added: 'All of these wonderful people are pensioners, all amazing.
My mother learnt to knit so she could contribute as well as organise.'
Mrs MacKellar, 77, of Port Erin, said she called on friends and family to
help and the pensioners put their needles and wool into action. They
managed to create some 80 hats for the children, as well as scarves and
gloves.
'It really is amazing for the numbers involved,' she said.
'It really was very upsetting when we first heard the circumstances of
these children — they are so inadequately clothed in the winter.'
The knitwear will start its long journey to Serbia this week, but it won't
be alone. Linda explained: 'We were discussing the transporting of these
things to Serbia when I mentioned that the saddest people were the elderly
refugees who are without family.
'In no time at all the "Manx task force" organised wool and
needles to be sent so that refugee pensioners can form their own knitting
groups.'
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