Village residents supporting the local community with handcrafts

Residents at Bolton Clarke’s Moreton Shores Retirement Village have taken the challenge to pool their talents and put unused craft supplies to use to benefit people in need.

From cancer support groups to local aged care communities, the retirement village’s active members are putting their diverse skills to good use with almost 20 residents coming together each week to give back to the community through craft.

“We have been doing community projects since 2018 and that has meant the group has grown from about five residents to 17,” resident and craft group member Debbie said.

“There were a lot of donated supplies like wool, fabrics and knitting needles that weren’t being used by people because they didn’t want to make any more things for themselves or their families.

“I just felt like it was a bit of waste of resources if we didn’t use them to produce something for other people who do need it.”

Debbie and the group come together every Monday morning as not only a social occasion but to organise and work through their latest community project.

“We started slowly in 2018, knitting 30 blankets for people in residential aged care here, which was more than was required so we looked further afield to distribute them.

“Since then, the range of what we produce and who we support has increased as our membership has grown.

“We have established a fantastic relationship with the Childhood Cancer Support Group of Queensland who support families from rural and regional areas who have a child receiving oncology treatment in Brisbane.”

Debbie and her husband have lived in the village for six years now, which she says has allowed them to continue doing their work in the community.

“This was one of the few places that had a co-located residential aged care home for a time when we might need care.

“We belong to a number of other community organisations in this area too, so we wanted to remain active within those groups for as long as we can.”