How Can You Start Knitting for Charity in the UK?

For the ultimate guide to knitting for charity in the UK, look no further than Knit for Life

I think UK knitters may very well ask me, more often than anyone else in the world, how they can begin knitting for charity.

It’s an understandable question. The United Kingdom is home to a pretty small number of nationwide knitting charities. (This isn’t surprising, given the UK’s small size, at least in comparison to the US.)

And unless a UK knitter wants to knit blankets (for Project Linus UK) or prosthetics for breast cancer survivors (for Knitted Knockers UK)? The options may seem slim.

Happily, a few years ago I discovered Knit for Life, and that is now the first place I always suggest to folks who are eager to knit for charity in the UK!

The Ultimate Guide to Knitting for Charity in the UK: Knit for Life

One thing that drew me into Knit for Life is its very reason for existence. On their website, they state,

…we quickly realised that, whilst so many people love to knit, they don’t always have a reason to do so.”

From Knit for Life’s “About Us” page

Another thing I love about Knit for Life is that it’s also perfect for those with the opposite problem of limited time. Many knitters simply don’t have the time to search for the perfect charity.

They just want to have one simple place where they can send their knitting to, because when they take the time to knit, they want to know their knitting is going to someone in genuine need.

Finally, for those who prefer to knit for their local communities, Knit for Life also has you covered. They offer a full list of local charities, complete with links to their websites.

How You Can Help

First, head for the Knit for Life website. This is where you’ll find information about what this organization offers, including a list of the causes they support, patterns you can use for donations, and additional resource links.

Two things you should be aware of:

First, Knit for Life does distribute knitted items to some charities, but they designed this service primarily for knitters in Shropshire, their home base. Interested in joining their Shropshire team? Take a look at the list of items they distribute on their About Us page.

If this interests you, you can use their Contact page to send a message and let them know of your interest.

Meanwhile, if you live elsewhere and want to keep your knitting local? That’s where Knit for Life’s extensive list of local charities will come in handy. And if you need patterns, you can take a look at Knit for Life’s Patterns page. You’ll find both original patterns and links to other patterns off-site.

So if you’re interested in knitting for charity in the UK? Knit for Life is your new one-stop destination!