Big Knit 2027
The innocent Big Knit launches on the 14th October 2026, and Age UK Isle of Wight has a confirmed target of 20,000 hats!
The much-loved innocent Big Knit is returning for 2026/27 on the 14th of October, and here at Age UK Isle of Wight we’re ready to make it our biggest and brightest year yet.
We’re calling on the Island’s knitters, crocheters and craft groups to help us reach our goal and raise £6,000 to support older people across the Isle of Wight.
Whether you’re an experienced knitter, a crochet champion, part of a craft group, or simply looking for a fun project with a purpose, every tiny hat you make will help support older people.
What is the Big Knit?
The Big Knit is a national partnership between innocent drinks and Age UK. Across the country, people knit and crochet tiny woolly hats which are placed on innocent smoothie bottles.
For every hatted smoothie sold, innocent donates 30p to the local Age UK you donate your hats to, helping to fund vital services, support, information and friendship for older people in your area who need it most.
It may be a small hat, but together they can make a huge difference.
How your hats help older Islanders
Funds raised through the Big Knit will help support the running of our local services, including:
-
Chatty Brews, bringing people together for conversation, companionship and a welcoming afternoon out.
-
Information and Signposting, helping older Islanders and their families find information and support.
-
Digital Drop-ins, offering friendly help with phones, tablets and other technology.
Every hat you make towards our target helps us continue this work.
Can you help us reach our target?
In the previous campaign, our supporters made an incredible 18,794 hats, far exceeding our target of 12,500.
This time, we’re aiming for 20,000, and we’d love your help getting there.
Whether you make a single hat or organise a whole group to get involved, your contribution will be gratefully received. Thank you to everyone who has already started knitting and donating hats for the new campaign.
How to take part
Choose a pattern and get creative. There are knitting and crochet patterns for different abilities, from simple bobble hats to more adventurous designs.
Browse Big Knit knitting and crochet patterns
Get others involved. Invite your knitting group, friends, workplace, school or community group to join you. Making hats together is a lovely way to enjoy a shared activity while supporting a local cause.
Help spread the word. Share this page with someone who enjoys knitting or crocheting, or tell a local craft group about our challenge.
Although the official launch is on 14 October 2026, you’re welcome to start making your hats now.
Who can take part?
Everyone is welcome.
You can get involved as an individual, or as part of a:
- Knitting or crochet group
- WI group
- School or college
- Workplace
- Church or community group
- Care home activity group
- Library or craft club
- Family project
If your group would like to take part, we’d love to hear from you.
Email us at: Fundraising@ageukiw.org.uk
When do we need your hats?
We’ll be knitting and collecting throughout the campaign, ahead of the national deadline of 1 October 2027.
We’ll confirm our earlier local hand-in deadline and collection arrangements on this page so that we can get everyone’s hats sent off in time.
The hats are expected to appear on innocent smoothie bottles in shops in January or February 2028.
Donate your hats today!
Our office is based centrally on Newport, once your little knitted creations are ready, drop them off or post them to:
Age UK Isle of Wight
17 St Thomas' Square
Newport
PO30 1SL
If you would like the money raised by your hats to stay on the Isle of Wight, please DO NOT donate your hats to the Age UK Shops on the Island. Hats donated to the shops will support the wider Age UK Network and not Age UK Isle of Wight. We do no recieve funding from the shops.
It's always a good idea to enclose a note with your knitted hats to say who knitted them, how many there should be enclosed and how we can get in touch to thank you.
Get in touch with us:
Already have hats ready, want to involve your group, or have a question about taking part? We’d love to hear from you.
Email: fundraising@ageukiw.org.uk
Thank you for helping Age UK Isle of Wight support older Islanders, one little hat at a time.
The Island is Back... and bigger than ever!
After last year’s incredible response, we think it’s time to aim even higher.
Our target was 12,500 hats, but the Island absolutely smashed it, finishing the campaign with an amazing 18,794 tiny hats.
This year’s official goal is 20,000 but with your help we know that we will smash it again!