County Roscommon women's shed members present their ‘Blankets of Hope’ to Hospice

The Phoenix Centre in Ballaghaderreen was an array of bright colours and intricate patterns last week as blankets, expertly handcrafted by members of the Ballaghaderreen Women’s Shed, were presented to the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation.

Twenty five shed members were present for the culmination of their ‘Blankets of Hope’ project with the blankets being formally presented to Mayo Roscommon Hospice CEO Martina Jennings.

Chairperson of the Ballaghaderreen Women’s Shed, Michelle Casey, with the help of the shed members, put the final refining touches for the presentation into place, from delicately arranging the blankets to making sure the kettle was freshly boiled for tea and coffee.

There was a great sense of community as women from Ballaghaderreen, Kilmovee, Frenchpark and some from Claremorris proudly displayed their unique blankets that they had spent months knitting and crocheting.

Michelle explained where the idea originally came from. “A lady in Cork was doing blankets for patients undergoing chemotherapy as they can get quite cold during treatment. Our treasurer Anne Whelan was on holiday in the area and brought the idea back to the committee. They agreed it would be a great idea.

“This just shows how talented all of you are, its amazing. I personally, as chairperson, want to thank you so much,” said Michelle. The group received a grant through the SICAP Programme from Roscommon Leadership to cover to cost of the wool, and since February the talented members of the shed have being hard at work masterfully crafting their blankets.

Hospice CEO Martina Jennings thanked all the shed members for their hard work. “These are fabulous blankets, and I want you to know the difference these make to patients in the hospices. When we were building the hospices we said to the architects, ‘this has to be a home from home’. These blankets add to that. So to get a donation like this is so appreciated. I know this must have taken hours of your talent and time, so thank you all so much.” Ms Jennings reiterated the importance of patients receiving donations, like the blankets, that have a personal touch to them. “It’s so helpful, because what it does is it brings the comforts of somebody’s home to a room in the hospice, and even the colours of the blankets brighten up a room.

“It makes so much difference to somebody’s mindset on a day they might not be feeling the best. Also to think that it came from a voluntary women’s group, and that they thought of the hospice and the patients, its not just kind, its everything the hospice is about.” Shed members Carmel Finn and Maria O’Gara spoke about how they spent their evenings over the last few weeks preparing the blankets for the presentation. They both agreed it was an enjoyable experience, and that they were able to use a skill they had not used since their childhood, for a charity that touched the lives of so many people.

The Ballaghaderreen Women’s Shed now has nearly 30 members ranging in age from 46 up to 94. Members have taken part in activities such as creative writing, felting and tours, like a recent boat trip in Carrick-on-Shannon.

The chairperson extended an invitation to join to any woman over the age of 18. “We are a safe place for women to make friends, share skills, learn new knowledge and have a social outlet. We do a vast array of activities from arts and crafts, health and beauty and exercise to daytrips. A lot of it is combatting isolation, and we try to make that as comfortable as possible.”