'Thoughtful Thursday' Knitting For Oxfam

When you think of Oxfam, charity shops and second-hand clothes springs to mind but they're only part of the picture. Oxfam is a vibrant global movement of passionate, dedicated people fighting poverty together and doing amazing work! From saving lives and developing projects that put poor people in charge of their lives and livelihoods, to campaigning for change that lasts.

To have the biggest possible impact on the lives of poor people worldwide, Oxfam concentrates on three interlinked areas of work:

Emergency response.

People need help in an emergency – fast. Oxfam save lives, swiftly delivering aid, support and protection; and helps communities develop the capacity to cope with future crises.

 Development work.

Poor people can take control, solve their own problems, and rely on themselves – with the right support. Oxfam funds long-term work to fight poverty in thousands of communities worldwide.

Campaigning for change.

Poverty isn’t just about lack of resources. In a wealthy world it’s about bad decisions made by powerful people. Oxfam campaigns hard, putting pressure on leaders for real lasting change.

Fighting poverty. That's what Oxfam is about. Make no mistake, it's a massive challenge. But they are winning the battle, right now, in all sorts of ways – big and small. Supporting Oxfam can, and does, make a difference!

Oxfam opened one of the world’s first charity shop chains starting with a shop in Oxford in 1947. This innovative fundraising idea attracted donations ranging from false teeth, various stuffed animals, up to a houseboat. Today Oxfam shop network raises millions, and there's even an online version too!

How Can Knitters Help?

knitted (and crocheted) items can be sold in Oxfam High street shops to raise much needed

funds for Oxfam’s work around the World. It would be best to speak to the manager of your local shop first. The shop manager would need to ensure that there is a local market for the product and that the price would reflect the fact that these are handmade items and that every one is unique. To sell in the shop the items will need to be well made and well finished. In this way Oxfam can make the most from every donation that they are given.

Oxfam have a selection of patterns, which can be given free to supporters who wish to knit items for Oxfam to sell but you can use your own too, as the more different patterns they have the more items they will be able to sell. Your local shop manager will be able to tell you what they can sell and roughly how much money they’ll be able to make.

Patterns already in use by individual Oxfam shops and available from the website include :

Legwarmers    Hat with earflaps  Corsage     Elemental jacket

Peaked hat     Handwarmers and hat        Fingerless gloves

scarves, doll’s clothes, baby clothes, jumpers, tank tops and Christmas decorations are also very welcome. They are unable to accept knitted toys as all toys sold in Oxfam shops have to have the CE mark; the same would apply to handmade toys, and when knitters are providing their own materials – including stuffing – they cannot take responsibility for this.

Knittted Blankets.

Oxfam are asking all supporters interested in offering their services if they would be prepared to knit blankets. The ‘iconic’ Oxfam blankets are extremely popular and raise significant funds for their work around the world. They are sold predominantly at the Music festivals held across the UK each summer but are also sold in their high street shops. These can be handed into any Oxfam shop selling clothing who will pass the blankets to Oxfam’s own recycling centre, Wastesaverin Huddersfield. They will then be sorted and passed to Oxfam’s festival shop team.

The measurements for the blankets are 6ft x 4ft and these can be made up of squares or strips sewn firmly together.

Oxfam try to maximise the amount they can sell each one for and they are individually priced, ranging from £20 to £35 each, depending on size and quality.

£35 is enough for Oxfam to provide safe water to over 58 people in an emergency or to buy fertilizer for 12 Farmer’s crops.

Oxfam is very grateful to supporters who have taken the time to knit blankets and other garments for them. Knitting items that they can sell is a valuable contribution to Oxfam, one that really does make a huge difference to the lives of people living in poverty around the world.

If you wish to donate items that you have knitted, you can find your local shop through Oxfam website  http:// www.oxfam.org.uk or http://www.oxfam.org

Oxfam believes that in a wealthy world poverty is unjustifiable, and can be prevented. Believes that injustice must be challenged, and that with the right help, poor people themselves can change their lives for the better, for good.

Everyone has the right to a life worth living – and to the basic things that make one possible. This belief shapes everything Oxfam do.

Donate to Oxfam and join thousands of others providing the vital ongoing support people need to escape poverty once and for all.Donate to Oxfam and join thousands of others providing the vital ongoing support people need to escape poverty once and for all!

For more information the website is : International -  http://www.oxfam.org

                                                           Uk - http://www.oxfam.org.uk