By Jamie Furness
The Forest Lake Crochet and Knitting Group celebrated a decade of serving the local community in August this year at a lunch event at the Richlands Tavern.
Group coordinator Sue Gibbens said the group makes all kinds of items from yarn generously donated by the Forest Lake community.
“It’s a way for the community to contribute to all sorts of charities,” Sue said.
“We do beanies, scarves and other things for the homeless, possum pods for wildlife and dog coats for animal welfare, toys for children … whatever we can make out of what the community donates, we give to charity.
“Recently we made 15 rugs for people in wheelchairs.”
Forest Lake Ward councillor Cr Charles Strunk also attended the event and provided a cake to thank the group for their dedication to helping people in need.
Cr Strunk congratulated the group for their efforts and wished them all the best for the future.
“Cheers to these local champions … their handmade donations bring so much to young and old who live in and outside the Forest Lake Ward area,” he said via Facebook.
The group was formed in 2013 after Sue and a friend decided to collect and purchase nappies for the homeless, with the generous help of their neighbours.
Sue was inspired to explore other ways to help people in need, and realised she could put her crocheting skills to good use by teaching people how to make items that could be donated for charity.
A notice was placed in The Lake News in June 2013, and the Forest Lake Crochet and Knitting Group was formed soon after on August 31.
“It was only about 4 or 6 of us, and then another two came and another two – we started up this group, and we didn’t even know what we were doing,” Sue said.
“There are 38 of us at the moment … anybody is welcome to join.”
Sue thanked the Forest Lake community for their huge support through purchases and yarn donations, which are collected from the box outside Woolworths at the Forest Lake Shopping Centre.
“It all comes from that box down there at Woolworths,” she said.
Every Thursday the group meets from 9am-12pm at the Durack-Inala Bowls club to work on their projects together, with all completed projects given to a variety of local charities.
Every year they also run two market stalls in Forest Lake, with all money raised donated to a charity voted on by the group. They are planning to attend the Forest Lake Twilight Markets in November at the end of this year.
NewsFlashBack
Take a look at these articles from The Lake News in 2013 which highlights the humble beginnings of the Forest Lake Crochet and Knitting Group.
Article from The Lake News June 2013 edition seeking expressions of interest to form the Crochet and Knitting group.
Article from The Lake News September 2013 edition which highlights the beginnings of a new group. Each member pictured remains a part of the crochet group today.
