Ballykelly community group using crafting to connect with each other and the community

A County Derry community group has combined their love of crafting with community support.
The group based at Tamlaghtfinlagan Parish Hall in Ballykelly was started three years ago in an effort to bring the community together.

The group is open to all ages, genders, and religion. They offer a friendly face paired with a bundle of kindness.
Their focus on Friday mornings is learning a different craft each week. Every week is something different from wreath making to flower arranging. As well as this the group is able to keep up to date with what is on in the community and avail of educational talks by the NI Fire Service and the PSNI.

After a talk from the local Fire Service the group thought it would be a lovely idea to make ‘comfort bears’ for the firefighters to carry if they come into contact with a child in distress.

On a post on Facebook NIFS West gave thanks to the group for their kind donation.
“Thanks to Jean who dropped in these hand crafted Teddy Bears this morning to Western Area Headquarters on behalf of Friendly Friday Crafters & Garden Club Ballykelly,” read the post.
“Our Flexi Duty Officers carry these Teddys in their vehicles for use when we attend incidents and small children have been exposed to trauma. Something as simple as our firefighters using this to divert their focus can be of great benefit.”

The kind lady, fondly referred to as ‘Granny Jean’, told the County Derry Post about how the idea for the comfort bears came about.

Jean explained: “The firemen came in to give us a talk about fire prevention and safety. We got chatting and they asked us if we could knit. We said yes. They explained the idea of comfort bears to us. So we decided to knit a number of comfort bears to donate to the firemen. When we had them all done we brought them into Limavady fire station. The bears are used when the firemen go out to crashes, fires or even alongside Foyle Search and Rescue. We knit them in all colours but I have started doing ones in the same colours at the local schools. We do have other different bears such as a special Santa bear that we will donate to charities such as Marie Curie or locally Crindle Stables Bridle.”

ABOVE: Collection of bears made by the group 

Speaking about the group itself, Jean said: “The group is great, it is a chance to come together, have a chat and a cup of tea. It doesn’t matter who you are, you are welcome to come along. I did 60 years as a nurse in the health service so this is good for keeping my mind occupied. I found I needed something to fill my headspace. My body said retire but my brain said no. That is why I came to the group here.”

Some other group members shared their thoughts on the group and how much it means to them.
One said: “I love coming to this group because it gets me out of the house. It helps your mental health and you meet new friends. The class is great. We have good craic, jokes and lovely tea, it is a great sense of entertainment. I just hope it continues for a long time to come.”

Another group member said: “We do really good crafts and it is great companionship. We get to meet new faces, learn new hobbies and arts and crafts. It is great to have visits from experts too to share information. Mentally too it is great for us. It is something to look forward to every Friday. You can come here do your own thing and express yourself creatively which is great.”

ABOVE: Friendly Friday Crafters & Garden Club Ballykelly

Samuel Stewart who is the youngest member of the group explained the importance of the group to the community.
He said: “Friendly Friday started off as a two week knitting class three years ago. It brings people together from the community and the parish regardless of who you are. Together we do crafts, knitting and donate to charities. It is such a friendly group of people from all different age ranges and backgrounds. We hope to be still here in years down the line.”

To find out more about the group you can visit them on Facebook via Friendly Friday Crafters & Garden Club
https://bit.ly/4evCZOS