Update Yourself on the latest Lets Make It Projects, Crafting, Park Area, Community Centre

Dementia Alliance in Weymouth & Portland; Starting in April the group are working on making “for-get-me-knot” flowers to raise awareness of dementia in Weymouth and Portland. If you are interested in helping out – please contact Julie –  J.hursthouse@westdorset-weymouth.gov.uk Tel: 01305 838497  many other parts of Dorset are also keen to get involved also. We are also hoping to make a giant mosaic of the flower so again if you are interested in helping out with that project also – please get in touch.

Crochet Workshops: We haven been inundated with telephone calls from people who are interested in attending, so a waiting list is being held for anyone else who is interested. We must stress though that we are a small voluntary community organization and the funds are slowly drying up so we may need to look at how we can try and support all of your ideas in the future.

Knitted Blankets – going well but so many more are still needed, the size is 80cm x 70cm, (for those of you still working in old money, that would be 32 x 28 inches. Don’t panic you don’t have to knit loads, just knit what you can, a couple of squares would be great, other people can help sew them up, there’s a domino pattern that saves sewing square.

Knitted Teddies – Can you believe it, 170 knitted teddies, yes 170!! have been knitted and taken to Weymouth  & District Hospital where they have been gratefully received. The Hospital has asked if they can have more, so please all you knitters out there, please keep them coming in, and well done and a huge thanks to everyone who has made them.

Chicks for Easter (patterns available). If you don’t know about these, the idea is that you knit a “chick” which then “sits” on a (famous brand name or not) crème egg, actually the egg sits within the body of the chick. . The chick can then be held up by its head, (surely not RSPCB approved method) without the crème egg falling out. The committee agreed to sell a cream egg and cosy for £1.00 and then the monies donated to the “Hamlet” which supports survivors of domestic violence and abuse that have moved on from the Women’s Refuge Weymouth Project. Any chicks that have been made can be dropped off at either West Dorset Council Offices, South Walks House, or Weymouth & Portland Council Offices North Quay for the attention of Cllr Joy Stanley.

Bonnets & Jackets for Premature Babies, this project is continuing for Dorchester County Hospital 

Collect your free patterns and wool event: Please come along to The Park Community Centre on Wednesday 18th February between 3pm and 4pm to collect your wool and patterns for all of the above projects

Upcoming Projects

Sewing machine course: Are you a hopefully for the Great British Sewing Bee 2016 but just need to know how to handle the machine, Have you got the enthusiasm but just lack some of the basic know how? We are looking at running a 6 week x 2 hour course on how to use a sewing machine so if you are interested please contact Julie Tel 01305 838497.

Crochet Workshops: We haven been inundated with telephone calls from people who are interested in attending, so a waiting list is being held for anyone else who is interested. We must stress though that we are a small voluntary community organization and the funds are slowly drying up so we may need to look at how we can try and support all of your ideas in the future.

Its not just about the Women in the Park Area, We would love to set up more projects for Men in the Park Area, so if you would like to get involved please contact the Committee.

You might not know this but for all the work and projects that are keeping hospitals awash with teddies and blankets, poppies, boats and everything else, this is all organised by a very small committee who are desperate to grow into a big grown up committee, but just need more people to join in. Every other month they meet up to chat about craft ideas and how they can involve new people, if you can spare a few hours and think this sounds right up your street they would love you to contact them. The committee currently are Amy, Angela, Joy, Julie, Gill, Marion, Jo, Joan, John, Mary and Moira, so as you can see there is plenty of room for more to join in around the table and split the packet of custard creams a wee bit further!

Alternatively, just supposing you have a pot of money that could do with  being put to good use, that you dont want back as money, but maybe just good karma, or a feeling of well being as you see these projects investing in your community, then get in touch with Julie for Lets Make It, or John Morse for  supporting the Park Area Community Centre.

So  “Lets Make it Spring”, takes us nicely into The Park Area Gardening Competition, which is where every year many of us residents do our utmost to make out streets look that bit brighter, loved and jolly. And it works. I hear people walking past commenting on the lovely fragrance or the beautiful display of colourful flowers. Now we don’t do it for the Competition itself, but it’s a nice little addition. However this year 2015, there is the threat of no more prizewinners, as we have run out of judges to look at our hanging baskets etc.  So if you can tell you petunia from a begonia or even a dandelion, or if you can just tell if it looks nice and well cared for, why not get in touch with the Community Centre in Chelmsford Street and offer your services.  A Shiny New Volunteer Judge has now been found, thank you everyone who has contacted the Community Centre about this! The list of winners for 2014 has now been published in the local newsletter, which should have popped through your door.

The Park Area Community Centre is also keen for additional volunteers for all sorts of reasons and duties. If you have some spare time I bet there’s a suitable position for you at the centre. Without volunteers the centre and all the good deeds that come out of it, and all the workshops that take part in it, would grind to a halt. So if its something you had thought about, or maybe not, why not get in touch and find out more. They don’t bite any more. It would be great if the Centre could have longer opening hours for all members of the community to take part in events, whatever their circumstances. But unless more people are prepared to offer their time it just can’t happen.

There’s been a great increase in dog mess all over the Area, and it’s not a nice thing to have on your buggies if you’re a parent, on your mobility scooter or just on your shoes, personally I don’t like to see it on the pavement at all. At the last Community Meeting this was brought up and it’s happened again. Mike Green, who has been the Community Support Officer for the last umpteen years, is leaving very shortly and joining the dog unit. Are the two connected?  Will Mike be using his in-depth knowledge of the local area to catch the suspects in mid act? We can only wait and watch with baited breath.

Finally, don’t forget the Community Centre also hires out the hall for birthday parties etc. So if your youngster is planning on having enough friends around to require you moving to a castle, then perhaps think about whether the facilities at the centre will be a cheaper alternative. You can’t get away without doing a little cleaning up afterwards though.

Until next time, seeds are now available in the shops and its time to start planning what wonders I can persuade to grow this year. I am not so much into regimented colour; Personally, I’m the wild and wacky garden that tries to grab you as you walk past. But each to their own… I’m off to germinate in the dark…….Happy Sowing, Knitting, Painting, Bracelet Making, Crafting… and see how long you can let a cream egg survive without eating it. Must be a good competition there.