A Ray of Hope for British Babies
How you can send a ray of hope overseas
Sometimes it's fun to see what knitting charities other countries have, and Ray of Hope is one of the best. It's a British knitting charity that started with a small group of determined individuals and widened to include people from across the country and overseas. These dedicated individuals have a stall in the Leighton Hospital. Alternate Fridays, they run a very special kind of store.
On these special Fridays, the Ray of Hope volunteers sell knitted toys, blankets, shawls, cross stitched items, and cards. They provide a wonderful opportunity for people visiting newborns to purchase handknit, very special gifts for these new babies.
But that on its own doesn't make a charity.
The Real Ray of Hope
Of course, knitting for charity means helping others out, and that's what Ray of Hope does with the proceeds of its little shop. All of the money they raise goes towards the Maternity and Neonatal hospital wards.
They don't purchase medical equipment because they have a very specific goal in mind: to make the hospital a friendlier place for Moms and babies alike. That means buying furnishings, soft décor, and baby clothing for hospital patients, not more sterile lab equipment.
Furthermore, as the charity expanded, Ray of Hope has been able to send donations to other hospitals. In fact, anyone with a preemie baby can write to Ray of Hope and receive a cardigan or hat. Ray of Hope might not work in your backyard, and it might not target needy orphans in underdeveloped nations. But it does do very valuable work, and the many Americans with British ties have been invaluable in helping them along.
How to help
Ray of Hope doesn't have their own website, but you can get a lot of information about them through the British Broadcasting Corporation website featuring all of their knitting patterns, donations, and contact information.
Did I mention the knitting patterns? Ray of Hope has dozens of knitting patterns, from cardigans to hats to burial gowns. They even have sewing and crochet patterns for those of us who like to move beyond knitting for charity now and then. And of course, you can also make a financial donation.
Just about anything you want to knit, Ray of Hope can and will accept. As long as it has a baby theme, they can sell it in their special shop or donate it to a baby in need. If you want to help British babes and their families, then Ray of Hope is the perfect charity for you.
