Can you knit?

(30th July 2010)

Theresa Rowntree, (75) from Braintree in Essex, who recently lost her sight is part of a knitting team producing teddy bears for child patients on board the world’s largest charity hospital ship, the Africa Mercy.

Rebecca Bond from Bassingbourn, Hertfordshire, was deeply touched by stories from her sister, Veronica Weatherhead, a nurse from Royston, who volunteered on board the Africa Mercy in Togo earlier this year.

The ship is run by the international charity Mercy Ships which provides free medical and humanitarian care to some of the world’s poorest people.

Rebecca wanted to do something to help. She had heard how comforting the children coming on board the ship to receive treatment found the teddies, and so created an advert, asking for knitters, to produce as many teddy bears as they can.

Theresa’s daughter read the advert and thought that knitting teddies for Mercy Ships using a simple pattern was a way to re-ignite her mother’s interest in knitting. Friends and family had always said that Theresa could knit with her eyes closed.

Rebecca is keen for as many people in the local area to help in her knitting mission. She said: “Anyone that can knit will find this pattern easy to do and the joy it brings to children is beyond imaginable. These young children are often very frightened and also very poor so to receive a gift like this means a great deal to them and sees them through a difficult time.

“I am surprised at the amount of people who have responded to the appeal and delighted by the number of teddies that arrive almost daily.”

The Africa Mercy, a former Danish rail ferry, is staffed by an international crew of dedicated volunteers from over 40 nations ranging from seamen, engineers, surgeons, doctors and nurses.

The surgeons on board perform operations on children and adults such as cleft lip and palate, cataract and crossed eye corrections, facial reconstructions, club feet and dental treatments.

Judy Polkinhorn, Executive Director of Mercy Ships UK, said: “This is an amazing gesture by Rebecca and all the knitters. Donations like this make such a difference to the child patients on board the Africa Mercy who love teddies just as much as children here. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that kindly has given their time to knit teddies for the children on the ship. Their efforts show real compassion and commitment.”

Over the last 30 years, Mercy Ships has worked in over 70 countries providing services valued at more than £450million.

The international charity has treated more than 230,000 people in village medical clinics, performed more than 41,000 surgeries, 205,000 dental treatments and completed over 1,000 community development projects focusing on water and sanitation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture.

If you would like to help Rebecca in her knitting mission and would like details or the pattern please ‘phone her on 01763 246556 (leave a message) or email beccibond@hotmail.com

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