Gift will give heart to victims of floods (From Ledbury Reporter)

Gift will give heart to victims of floods

12:18pm Tuesday 14th August 2007 in News By Tarik Al Rasheed

A GROUP of kind-hearted Ledbury residents have been spending every spare minute sewing quilts tog-ether to help victims of the recent flooding.

The Elgar Quilters has around ten members, comprising residents of sheltered blocks Turner Court and St Michaels plus family and friends. They have already finished a half dozen quilts and promise there are many more to come.

Group leader and Elgar Housing support worker Jenny Kirton, a self-confessed patchwork fanatic, said the group wanted to do something to help after being moved by tales and pictures of people left homeless following the floods.

"My head office have told me there are around 20 families around Upton and this area who have been made homeless, so we're making these quilts for those people who have lost everything," she said.

"We were hoping to make around 20 but at the rate we are going, we will have around 50 before too long."

Mrs Kirton said the small, brightly coloured quilts called Huggles' were the perfect size to cuddle up and keep warm in.

"These people will have lost a lot of things and it will be horrible for them moving back into their homes," she said.

"It's not a cooker or a fridge or a three-piece-suite but it is something personal and our small way of helping out."

The Elgar Quilters have members aged from around 40 to 88 and usually meet once a month.

However, they are currently meeting every week, as well as working fervently at home, to get as many quilts as possible finished ready to hand over in the next couple of weeks.