A CHARITY supermarket has come to the rescue after a shortage of fasteners pushed knitters’ buttons.
Volunteers in Darlington, who knit hats and matinee coats for babies, were struggling to find the right sized buttons because of a post-COVID supply shortage and the decline in haberdasheries.
The ladies knit prolifically for infants born at North Tees Hospital, Stockton, but were struggling to find small white buttons, until they approached St Teresa’s Hospice’s charity retail department.
Head of retail Marjorie McIntyre said: “They came in and asked us whether we had buttons and thankfully we had a box full. It’s just the sort of thing that is donated when shops close down or we often remove them from clothing that comes in but we are unable to make shop-ready.
“Our lovely community is amazing at supporting the hospice, which needs £4m a year to provide free inpatient and community care for people living with life-limiting illnesses and their families in Darlington, South Durham and North Yorkshire, so we were delighted to help the knitters out.”
Volunteer knitter Valerie Wilkinson said: “I learnt knitting from my mam and nana. I used to go over to nana’s every Saturday and there was always every sort of needle around and wool everywhere. Now I knit seven nights a week and find it really relaxing.
“I also knit poppies and in the past have done and fiddlemuffs for Alzheimer’s patients and clothes for my grandchildren. Then my daughter spotted on the internet that the hospital was looking for volunteer knitters and it’s nice to be able to do something to help.
“I like a particular type of button and was struggling to find any in the shops. So my friend popped in the charity shops and St Teresa’s Hospice had just the right ones.”