How to Help the Needy in the UK & Worldwide through Knitting

Do you live in the UK and want to help the needy in your country & around the world? Take a look at Knit for Peace UK

Knit for Peace UK began life as a cooperative knitting project. The project encouraged women in war-torn portions of Rwanda and poverty-stricken parts of India to create clothing for street children and orphans.

Not only were the knitters paid (and the clothing distributed through various organizations), but this program also brought together groups of women from historically hostile communities.

If you know anything about knitters, you can probably guess what happened next!

From Knitting with the Needy to Knitting for the Needy

As time went by, UK knitters asked if they could help Knit for Peace in knitting for the needy. Those who ran the project discovered that knitters love to find people to knit for. And they love it even more if these people are in need.

(I know, we could have told them that, right??)

Charities Advisory Trust, the organization behind Knit for Peace, is a big advocate of giving to people in need in any way possible. For this reason, they did not want to discourage these knitters!

Instead they looked for ways in which knitters could help. They discovered many, many places to which knitters could donate. These include hospitals, prisons, shelters, hospices, and developing countries, among others.

Today Knit for Peace UK is a thriving charity that is always seeking more knitters. If you love to knit and you live in the UK, this is a great opportunity for you!

How You Can Join In

Of course the easiest way to help Knit for Peace UK is to knit. If you’re curious as to what they need most, you can take a look at their latest blog post (you can find their blog here) or use the Contact Us page to reach out and ask.

However, they will happily take whatever is donated and will get those items to people in need.

(They do note that they already have a large supply of baby hats and blankets.)

If you need to destash or get rid of some gently-used knitting needles, this is a great opportunity for you to send them to someone who can really use them! Knit for Peace UK is always willing to help someone who wants to knit, so you can be sure your supplies will go to a good home.

(They especially enjoy distributing such supplies in prisons, where learning the skill of knitting can have a real benefit.)

You can use any pattern you wish. But if you’d like to find new patterns – or get an idea of the kinds of projects they can really use – Knit for Peace UK has a page of patterns that you’ll find useful.

Are you in the UK and seeking other ways to knit for charity in your country? Find more charities here!

Other Ways to Help Knit for Peace

If you have time and want to offer some leadership, volunteer to be a knitting group leader. Knit for Peace UK has many different knitting groups, and you can help people who are new to knitting or even who have never knitted before.

A fun way to contribute financially is to purchase from their shop. They have knitting bags, needle and hook cases, and pattern booklets for sale. Enjoy their wonderful products while also supporting their fantastic cause.  

You can get more information and contact information on this page.

Finally, financial donations are always welcome. Donate if you have a few dollars to spare. Or, you can encourage non-knitting friends who are seeking opportunities to donate to charity.

For more information about Knit for Peace UK, you can visit their website, like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter, and/or visit their Ravelry group.

Knit for Peace UK is a terrific way for British knitters to clothe and warm needy people all over the country and even all over the world!