There was plenty of Hanky Blanky on Gillingham Town Meadow after townsfolk joined together to make the biggest blanket ever made in Dorset.

The town came together in spectacular fashion as folk joined forces and knitted individual six-inch wool squares to create the whopping 70-metre blanket. The event came about after Gillingham Community Kindness, a volunteer group recently set up by social prescriber Liz Rose, held a Commuknitty Kindnose Day – to bring the town together while keeping apart.

Liz said: “The aim to ‘Bring Gillingham together while keeping apart’ for Red Nose Day was a huge success as the community joined forces and individually knitted six inch wool squares to create the biggest blanket ever made in Dorset. The knitted squares were delivered to the meadow in a socially distanced manner and by the end of a wonderful day the blanket measured over 70m square.”

“The next step is for volunteers to help sew the squares into smaller blankets, which will be donated to Comic Relief projects. A heart shape was also made from 710 donated pompoms to show that Love is at the heart of our Gillingham Community – these will be saved and used to decorate the town Christmas Tree in December.”

The town came together, with four Gillingham kindergartens producing lovely banners, residents of nursing homes making squares and pompoms and 149 individuals and families giving their time to knitting and making pompoms. And £136 was raised through the sale of red noses and donations.

A spokesperson from Gillingham Community Kindness said: “Gillingham Community Kindness and Gillingham Medical Practice would like to thank Liz Rose, Rosie Thompson, all the community health champions and all the wonderful, kind people of Gillingham who made it happen.”

Liz has worked with Gillingham Medical Practice and the wider Blackmore Vale Partnership to set up and co-ordinate practical, emotional and social support for the people of Gillingham, often involving volunteers from the first lockdown.

Support Us

Thank you all so, so much for the love and appreciation you’ve shown us since we launched the New Blackmore Vale.

Please show your support and add a review on our Facebook page or on Google.