Craft Aid – how a local craft business is helping Australia

4 Feb 2020 09:39
Published by: Kian French

A small local craft business has been making a difference globally by helping bring together craft aid for Australian wildlife affected by the recent wildfires.

The Ditzy Rose Makery, in Tattenhall, has been arranging craft sessions and sewing classes with the goal of hand-making much needed items to help wildlife rescued from the tragedy of the Australian bush fires this month.

Owner Nikki Barraclough explained “the brother-in-law of one of our customers works for British Airways and mentioned they would offer to fly a container of aid items out to Australia to help with the devastating effects of the wildfires. Being animal lovers ourselves and moved by what was happening in Australia, we connected with the Craft organisation which has organised support for an Australian charity. They told us what items were needed to help, so we started crafting them. My 12 year old daughter also decided to get involved – in a matter of days she has hand-made and sold at her school over 35 velvet hair scrunchies to raise money to donate”.

Local makers have also crafted special items to raise donations for the animal charity, including artist Andrea Clement making Koala hanging hearts and knitter Marge’s Makes making keyrings. Altogether in the past week dozens of blankets, animal beds and pouches have been made and collected, and over £335 in donations has been raised.

Animal Rescue Collective Craft Guild (ARCCG)

Working in conjunction with the ARCCG which is backed by registered Australian animal welfare charity MKC, the Ditzy Rose Makery has become a Collection and Drop Off point for locally made aid items to be sent to Australia and the collection has now gone to the larger local hub to be sent to Australia.

The Makery has run craft sessions including a Crafternoon as well as sewing classes making items needed to help with the animals rescued from the fires. Items include hanging pouches for joeys and carry bag pouches for rescued wallabies, animal blankets, animal bedding and bird and rodent nests.

Donation point for charity

Crafters around the world have been supporting the relief work for the crisis in Australia, to the extent that now no new items are needed - just monetary donations to help with food and shelter for the animals which have been rescued. Hundreds of thousands of animals have now been rescued, including over 90,000 animal patients treated by the Wildlife Hospital run by the late Steve Irwin’s family in Australia.

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