Yarn with Purpose: Festival Makes for Oxfam

As part of my ongoing series, I’m exploring the many ways we can use our crochet skills to support community projects. Today, I want to share an opportunity that might resonate with many of you: creating handmade items for Oxfam.

What is the Cause?

Oxfam is a global organization dedicated to fighting poverty and injustice. They sell donated items to fund their projects, and your handmade goods can contribute to this mission. Whether it’s clothing, blankets, or bunting, each item sold helps provide essential resources and support to those in need.

What Do They Need?

Here are some of the handmade items Oxfam needs:

• Clothes: Items such as jumpers, cardigans, hats, gloves and scarves can be sold in Oxfam’s high street shops. They have wonderful free patterns and resources available to help you get started. They also recommend chatting with the manager in your local store, to get an idea of what is selling in your local area. Here is the link to all the amazing resources and patterns!
• Blankets: Every year Oxfam attends musical festivals across the UK. Folks can volunteer to help either selling in the onsite Oxfam shops, stewarding or campaigning and raising awareness with festival goers. On their site they note that blankets, measuring 6ft by 4ft, are really popular at music festivals and can sell for up to £35. This amount can provide clean water for 60 people in an emergency.
• Bunting: This is another way to get involved if you cannot crochet. Oxfam is looking for bunting made from recycled fabrics for their Festival Shop. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, consider making triangles of interesting fabrics and attaching them to lengths of ribbon or cord. Any length, style, and color of homemade bunting are welcome, especially those made from old textiles.

When Do They Need It?

Oxfam accepts donations year-round, but certain items, like blankets and bunting, are especially popular during the festival season. You can create and donate these items anytime, knowing they will be put to good use.

Where to Donate?

To find your nearest Oxfam shop, visit the find us page on their website and enter your postcode. This will provide you with the address and contact details of the closest shop.

This is a fantastic opportunity to use your crafting talents to support a meaningful cause. By donating your handmade items to Oxfam, you’re helping to fight poverty and provide essential resources to those in need.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Oxfam. I am simply curating information to help spread the word and encourage participation in this valuable cause.

Resources: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/