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: Calling all Mumsknitters - would you like to help Oxfam raise awareness of maternal mortality
(80 messages)
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For the last six months, knitters from towns, cities and villages from around the UK have been tirelessly clicking their needles, making knitted squares for our giant, knitted petition, and demanding decent healthcare for mums in poor countries.
We’d like to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who took part in the campaign. You helped keep the pressure on in the run up to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Summit, and subsequently world leaders announced a raft of measures to tackle maternal mortality.
Find out how your campaigning helped make a difference by going here: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/applications/blogs/campaigners/2008/10/14000squares_2000_lettersand.html
You helped put the issue of maternal mortality at the top of the agenda at the UN meetings, and if the promises of money and action confirmed in New York are delivered, it will help save the lives of 10 million mothers and newborn babies over the next 7 years.
We’ve been simply overwhelmed by your enthusiasm for the campaign - more than 14,000 knitted patches were made by knitters in every nook and cranny of the UK - and so we’ll be in touch again with the next few months to let you know how you can keep clicking your needles against poverty.
Oh brilliant, thanks for the link! I've seen photos on ravelry but not seen any that I could share with non-ravelers.
Fab pics. Shame they didn't get the amount of squares they were after though.
By carriemumsnet on Mon 22-Sep-08 12:16:08
(from MNHQ)
Hi all
Just a quick update on all this. We were invited by Oxfam to Downing street to collect Sarah Brown's square (which was sewn in on the spot), and show a section of the blanket and talk to her about the campaign.
She knew all about Mumsnet and was incredibly knowledgeable about the subject of maternal mortality in the third world (she's patron of the White Ribbon Alliance) and very hopeful that it was one of the millenium goals that might actually be achievable, so that was really encouraging.
I took my youngest Mimi (as didn't have childcare) so she's the one swigging milk from a sippy cup to ward off the mother of all tantrums
Oxfam were so grateful to everyone on Mumsnet who had helped with this, and asked me to pass on a huge thank you. They are going to keep us updated on progress and let's hope we can have a part in stopping a woman dying in childbirth every 60 seconds
On Wednesday 17 September, we’ll be presenting part of the giant knitted petition to Sarah Brown at 11 Downing Street, and displaying the rest of the 40m long mammoth baby blanket in the Lawrence Hall.
We want to say THANK YOU to the amazing people who have been busily knitting and teaching people to knit to raise awareness and campaign for change. Your squares will put pressure on world leaders to turn this crazy situation around by providing aid money that can be spent funding midwives, doctors and medicines.
And we want to INVITE you to come down and celebrate the inspiring result of your collective labour of love and meet with fellow knitters.
Where: The Lawrence Hall. Royal Horticultural Halls & Conference Centre in the heart of Westminster (Greycoat Street, London, SW1P 2QD - nearest underground stations: St James’ Park / Victoria / Westminster)‎www.horticultural-halls.co.uk‎
When: Wednesday 17 September : 2pm – 5pm
We look forward to seeing you, your friends and family there!
Sorry to be so late to reply and oops I really didn't make it clear did I...? No it was in Leeds. Hope your knit in went well in Northampton! You really have some amazing knitters down there!
We also have a sit 'n knit in Northampton on 4th July 2-4 at the Open Door Centre 147 Kettering Road. All knitters and crocheters welcome. I have 160 squares already. One lady did 100 squares.
Come and purl together for Oxfam at our Madknitters’ tea (and coffee) party on Friday July 4th from 5.30 - 7.30 at Starbucks - Albion Street. We will be screening the short film My Sister My Self made by the White Ribbon Alliance that brings together the testimonies of women and communties in Africa and Asia. This moving film will doubtless give us plenty to talk about as we knit (a 9 inch square for the campaign blanket) and natter. Non knitters are equally welcome at this party and we’ll give them the essential skills to knit a square, hopefully the first in a long line of knitting projects. Crocheters do come too!
We also hope you’ll sign up to teach Hilary Benn, Greg Mulholland or Fabian Hamilton to knit! They are all keen to join in the campaign in the coming weeks but sadly can’t make it to our Friday night party.
Hope to see you there and do spread the word! PS. Do bring along any old remnants of yarn you may have - it may bring just that extra touch of flair to someone else’s square!
Is anyone in the South West happy to get involved with media work on the mums knitting campaign?
We really need to get the message out to our media about the urgency of the situation and to get loads of squares coming in from the South West region!
This could mean doing a bit of a photo stunt, with some support from us.
If you're interested please call Hannah or Emily in the Oxfam South West office in Bristol - 0117 916 6472 / 6477
i would be happy to get involved in the knitting bit. is there anyone else in suffolk/norfolk getting invovlved? please could you let me know more information please. thanks
Hi Leo, Ravelry goes quite fast. I think there were about 6000 names before me and I waited about ten days. Keep looking, it gets quite exciting near the end.
just managed to wipe and entire message - aargh! Ayomi - I put my Mumsnet name down for P'boro co-ordinator and I have e-mailed Oxfam and I'm waiting to heare from the local rep. Maybe we can start the local knitted squares campaign off ourselves - LOL!!
Will keep dropping in on this thread to update and to read what others are doing. Got a bit frightened iwth the 6k+ waiting list on Ravelry - think I might be a while waiting to jon that forum!
Hi all - the Ravelry group for this appeal is going very well. We only started on Friday and now have 74 members!. Ravelry is geat for dedicated knitters/crocheters, but there is a waiting list to join. Do you guys think that it would be worthwhile opening a Yahoo or Facebook group as well? Alex
Hi momoftwo, knitting coordinaters are doing stuff like organising events with local groups and inviting their MPs, talking to their local paper about the project, that sort of thing. Get in touch with me (sblakemore@oxfam.org.uk) if you would like to find out more and I can link you up with an oxfam staff member in your area.
Hi momoftwo, knitting coordinaters are doing stuff like organising events with local groups and inviting their MPs, talking to their local paper about the project, that sort of thing. Get in touch with me (sblakemore@oxfam.org.uk) if you would like to find out more and I can link you up with an oxfam staff member in your area. [smile}
Just to claify on sizes. The appeal is actually asking for 9-inch squares (the large size is to minimise sewing up, which will be an enormous task!). Some knitters find 9-inches too big, so the Manchester group is doing 4.5 inch squares which they will later sew together. Unless you are sewing up your own squares (like the Manchester group), 9-inch squares are easier for the Oxfam volunteers to handle. Thanks very much everyone!
Hi I just wanted to make sure people know that Oxfam Manchester is launching the knitting campaign in town tomorrow (Saturday 12th April)..
*Just turn up at 12noon in front of Urbis, tell as many people as possible. And as part of the publicity we are urging people to knit 1400 squares which will be made into a blanket, and be used as a campaigning tool to encourage world leaders to take action.*
Imagine thousands of people knitting at the same time trying to raise awareness on this matter, this is what this flashmob would be. 4.5 by 4.5 inch squares in any colour you like to symbolise your voice.
’ In many parts of the world, what ought to be a wondrous event in a woman’s life can be equivalent to a death sentence. This is nothing short of an emergency, and we must address it right now.’
No, you dont have to knit thousands of squares on Saturday but we’ll pose for photos with knitting needles etc. Hope your male friends wont be dissuaded by the thought of knitting!
PLEASE COME ALONG AND INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO CAN AND WILL KNIT!!!!
Hey cat64 I am the sarah from oxfam working on this project. You can drop off squares in our Birmingham office (contact Georgia Stokes gstokes@oxfam.org.uk) and she will be able to help you locally. But do get in touch with me if you have any more questions (sblakemore@oxfam.org.uk)
I have had some contact with Oxfam over this. E.mail Sarah Blakemore, address on their website and she will send you all the info you need. Very helpful.
If anyone knows where I could take them too in Birmingham, then I'll promote it at Church - LOTS of knitters there. Some literature would help a bit though. We have a local Oxfam shop - do you think they are likely to be involved ?
I've been in touch with the organisers and asked a couple of questions, so I thought it was worth sharing the answers on here:
"To answer your questions: people can knit in any colour and any type or yarn, patterns or plain knit would be brilliant and so are crocheted squares. Just as long as they are all the same size so we can fit them together!"
I have been in to my local wool shop and they are going to support the campaign (as long as the big boss agrees, which they think is likely!). As soon as I have printed literature (which I have been promised) I will blitz the other local craft shops, plus our local website. I am contemplating holding a "knit-in" session locally as well if I can.
Thanks - I will be a co-ordinator for Caithness if you like (collate and send off knitted squares, plus publish locally) - I will contact Sarah and let her know
Have you read some of the comments on the Oxfam release? They clearly haven't read the article properly
If anyone would be happy to act as regional coordinator ie collecting squares or organising knit ins, please stick a hand up now as folks from Oxfam are being directed to this thread and it would be great if there were some volunteers ready.
If you have any further questions, Sarah at oxfam is happy to be contacted - her email SBlakemore@oxfam.org.uk
Thanks to everyone who's volunteered so far. This is such a worthy cause, we really hope we can make a difference.
I'm in...link to site for more info? (so I can tell more people about)
Warning to EM's daughter...she knows who she is...you WILL knit....after all your finger puppet was a joy to behold..otherwise I'll tell MN how long ago you knitted it!!
Miaou - I wish I could. my late aunt tried to teach me, but I could never get it right. She put it down to teh fact that I was left handed and she was right. She was a beautiful knitter, and one of the last things she made, when she was ill in the hospice was a crotched shawl (which is so fine it looks like lace) and knitted pram blanket for DS1, she died about 2 weeks after he was born. I still have them upstairs.
I spoke to my MP this morning (Sally Keeble, Northampton North) and she is all for it. She can knit and will knit in her office and help to organise it. I am quite willing to do some organising if you would like to let me know what needs doing. Sally thought it was a wonderful idea.
also that famous fistula hospital in [http://www.fistulafoundation.org/hospital/ addis ababa]]
hope you're having a peaceful easter, much needed rest being had over here after having friends round for fish pie earlier (took girls to kids' stations of cross..did 2 readings myself)
i know that in eg africa there are situations where access to c/s is possibe..but then staff won't let families into hospital unless they have money/drugs for patient. this has led to many deaths/disabilities (eg fistula) that are entirely preventable.
Have you an official link I could use please...I have loads of knitters on other crafting forums I could try for you.
By carriemumsnet on Thu 20-Mar-08 17:51:27
(from MNHQ)
I posted this on Site stuff, but it was suggested we post it here too...
As part of the Health and Education For All campaign, Oxfam have launched an appeal for knitted squares to create a giant baby blanket, with each square knitted representing a mother who did not survive pregnancy or childbirth to be able to care for her baby, because she couldn't access the medical care she needed.
Oxfam are aiming to get 250,000 squares by September, which is the number of mothers who could have been saved in that time if decent healthcare had been available.
They need knitters to make 9 inch squares for the giant blanket, which will be handed into the Government as a sort of 'patchwork against poverty petition', to demand a world where everyone has access to free basic healthcare.
We were just wondered if all you Mumsknitters would be interested in teaming up with Oxfam to help out.
Ideally we'd need some folks to volunteer as Local/regional coordinators - who could appeal on their local sites for knitters, maybe organise a local knit -in/meet-up, wouldn't mind being contacted by non mumsnetter oxfam supporters to coordinate collection of squares
And then we just need folks who wouldn't mind unravelling an old sweater and knitting some squares (they're v keen on folks recycling old knitted stuff).
In May they're planning on holding Knit-ins at local MP's offices - so they're also looking for folks happy to teach their MP how to knit while talking about the issue of maternal mortality and hopefully picking up some local media coverage.
Basically it's not about raising money but raising awareness.
Let us know what you think/if you would be interested in helping out.
3 x FREE CHILDRENS BOOKS FOR EVERY READER
