Many stress-busting techniques – mindfulness, meditation, yoga, can be difficult for stressed and busy people to accept – it feels like sitting around doing nothing – no one has time for that do they? Knit for Peace offers a different approach: knitting. Knitting has well evidenced health and wellbeing benefits and is something that virtually anyone can pick up and learn quickly. It can be done anywhere (pretty much) and whilst providing a few minutes (or hours) of stress-busting activity, it also produces something at the end of it – whether you are knitting a scarf, a hat, a soft-toy or just a simple blanket square. And if you don’t have any need for the stuff you are knitting, no problem, Knit for Peace will take it off your hands and, through their extensive network of contacts in NGOs, charities and community organisations, they’ll pass it on to someone in need; a woman or child in a women’s refuge, refugees at drop-in and reception centres, the homeless, old people and people in need overseas.
Knit for Peace offer team-building training sessions where groups of workers can learn to knit and work together to create something useful. They also run knitting holidays in India where you can improve techniques, just sit and knit or even learn to knit as a complete beginner – each holiday is led by one of the country’s leading designers. Knitting is combined with the opportunity to see the local sites and Knit for Peace has excellent local connections and guests also get to explore the India that tourists rarely find. Guests can do as much or as little as they like. The next holiday is scheduled to be in Jaipur 16-27th October, when the weather is perfect. Jaipur itself is a fascinating city situated in Rajasthan, one of the cultural centres of India, and there are also opportunities to make trips to the Amber Fort and Taj Mahal.
Fees for team building and part of the price of the holidays go to support Knit for Peace’s work overseas – running and starting projects that bring traditionally hostile communities together; Hutu and Tutsi women in Rwanda, Muslims and Hindus in Delhi, with projects planned for the Middle East and South Africa. It will also help support the work of the charity in the UK both covering admin of donated items as well as support for special groups in disadvantaged communities – eg prisons, etc.
Find out more at www.knitforpeace.org.uk or enquire about training days at [email protected]
