Generous duo provide a helping hand to keep warm this winter | News and events

Older people receiving care from Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) are being given a helping hand to stay warm this winter thanks to the generosity of a knitting nurse and her magnanimous mum. 

Mental Health Nurse Trudy Sayell, who is based at Chatterton House in King’s Lynn, has spent the past year working alongside mum Corinne to create colourful blankets, gloves, mittens and hats for vulnerable older people in NSFT’s care.

They have donated around 50 items to people across west Norfolk so far, including lap blankets for service users with dementia. These are smaller than usual to stop people from tripping on them, and are also brightly-coloured to help patients who are receiving hospital care find their way back to their bed, and see the edge more clearly when getting in and out.  

Trudy and Corinne are now appealing for other crafty crocheters or kind-hearted knitters to put their talents to good use by donating new, handmade items which could help others over the winter.

“Mum and I both thoroughly enjoy making things, and find it really useful for supporting our own wellbeing,” said Trudy, who works with NSFT’s Memory Assessment Team. “Being able to help others at the same time is the icing on the cake.

“Clinicians from our teams take the items out when they are visiting service users in the community who they think could benefit. We’ve had some really lovely feedback so far and people really appreciate the gesture. It’s nice to be able to offer that extra support, and is especially important at this time of year as staying warm is so vital for keeping people healthy.

“We’ll continue making items over Christmas and throughout next year and would love other people to get involved if they would like to. They can either donate new balls of wool, or create items themselves using patterns available online.

“We would love to be able to extend the scheme to our adult and children and young people’s services as I’m sure it would make a real difference.”

Anyone who would like to donate a new ball of wool or a new handmade item can leave them at Chatterton House in Goodwins Road.

Trudy would welcome lap blankets, mittens, gloves and hats, but is unable to accept scarves as they could pose a trip hazard.