Hats off to the charity knitters

Maggie Hurley from Age Concern is pictured centre with two of the knitters, Shirley Evans (left) and Marian McNiffe.

AN army of Oldham knitters have made a mammoth stock of 2,350 miniature bobble hats to top special cartons of juice.

Money raised by the feat will bring almost £600 into the borough to spend on keeping the most vulnerable pensioners warm.

Maggie Hurley, from Age Concern Oldham, appealed through the Chronicle for knitters to do their bit for the Big Knit 2010. She ended up with 25 volunteers, as well as offerings from “knit and natter” events.

And together they smashed Oldham’s target of 2,000 little hats which will adorn cartons of Innocent smoothies on sale at Sainsbury’s and Boots from tomorrow.

The six-week knitting frenzy was part of a national drive to raise money for Age UK, which combines Help the Aged and Age Concern.

The charity will get 25p from each carton sold to help fund winter warmth projects.

Maggie said: “I can’t thank our volunteers enough for what they have done. They used their own time and some have used their own wool, so it has cost them money.”