Huge thanks to LoveCrochet and your community who helped raise £10,000 for our Snowflake Appeal.
 

In October 2015, LoveCrochet asked crafters everywhere to pick up a hook and crochet a snowflake to support the 2015 Home-Start Snowflake Appeal. They asked for donations to be sent a crochet kit, and they enlisted the help of Kirstie Allsopp to show that everyone can have a go!

Keen crafters watched Bella-Coco, the popular crochet blogger, teach Kirstie how to crochet her exclusive, free snowflake pattern. Then they downloaded the pattern and got crocheting - in their thousands.  Nearly 3,000 snowflakes arrived at our offices and were sent across the country to bring a little cheer to some of the families we support. They were included as festive decorations in many of our Christmas survival boxes.

But first the snowflakes were displayed at main entrance of The Handmade Christmas Fair in Manchester.

Below:  1) Sorting thousands of flakes, 2) The Home-Start UK and LoveCrochet team eight hours later - all done, and all done in!,  3) Kirstie Allsopp appreciates the beauty of crochet snowflakes before the fair is opened.

       

And here are all the snowflakes, in all their glory:






When she was being shown how to crochet the snowflake Kirstie said, “I love the idea of a Snowflake Appeal - helping children as unique and fragile as snowflakes.  The charity can tailor their support to the unique needs of each and every child.  And I love how this also links in with the uniqueness and fragility of craft work. This is an amazing organisation - on the ground, helping people.  If you want to help anyone in the UK, Home-Start is the best way to do it."

Sue Thorn, head of fundraising at Home-Start UK said, "This lovely appeal means so much to us. We thank everyone for the amazing £10,000 for Home-Start UK. But also there were all these exquisite snowflakes made and sent to us.  The thought of people all over the country caring enough to do this is heart warming. Thank you LoveCrochet for making it happen, and thank you all."