Derby and Joan Club's charity effort

Jun 19 2008 by Sandra Walls

THE DERBY and Joan Club in Strathaven donated 95 handmade crocheted blankets to three charities.

The club, based at the Ballgreen Hall, held the open day, where Emily Butler, a member of the Derby and Joan Club, presented the blankets to St Vincent De Paul, Loaves and Fishes homeless project, and Blytheswood Care, a distribution depot to international destinations for refugees suffering from disaster and war. An appeal by Emily for help to knit blanket squares was met by people from across the UK.

The blankets were made by members of the Derby and Joan Club, people from Strathaven, Glassford, Stonehouse, Drumclog, Hamilton, Dumfries and Newcastle.

The blanket squares were sewn together by Dr Margaret Miller from Strathaven.

Emily said: “Thanks to everyone’s time and effort, our blankets will be re-distributed to Stonehouse Hospital by St Vincent De Paul, Loaves and Fishes will hand theirs out to the homeless, and Blytheswood Care plan to send their share to refugees in Burma and China.

A cake, designed like a blanket, was donated by Wendy Brown, a cakemaker from Strathaven.