The Big Knit
Join us to knit little hats for innocent smoothie bottles and help raise money to support older people in Solihull!
The Big Knit 2024-25
We have totted up your woolly creations, and we are thrilled to announce that we received a whopping 13,243 hats!
Thank you so much to everyone who helped to collect this incredible amount, helping to raise vital funds to enable us to support older people in Solihull.
The hats from this campaign will be on top of innocent smoothie bottles to be sold in shops this autumn/winter.
The 2024/25 campaign has now come to an end, but please keep knitting! Any hats we receive from now will count towards our target for the next campaign, which hasn't been set yet but we'll let you know as soon as we know it.
Our weekly Big Knit Drop-In Group will continue too (see details below). Hope to see you there!
The Big Knit is a partnership with innocent drinks which started in 2003. By asking Solihull's knitters to create little hats, the campaign raises funds to help us to be here for older Solihull residents who need help in later life, whether they are lonely, struggling with the cost of living, feel digitally excluded, or need our help in another way.
See below for how to send us your hats, or join our Knitting Drop-In to have a cuppa with us and chat to other knitters.
Join our community!
Join our brand-new Facebook group to stay up to date with the progress of the campaign, and share photos of your wonderful creations with others.
Getting your hats to us
If you'd like to come and knit with others, see the box below for details of our Knitting Drop-In Group.
If you are knitting at home or with a group somewhere else, you can post or drop* your hats to us at: Age UK Solihull, Lower Ground Floor, The Core, Solihull Central Library, Homer Road, Solihull, B91 3RG.
*If you go to the door at the bottom of the slope between the library and the entrance for cars to Touchwood Car Park and ring the bell for Age UK Solihull, someone will collect them from you.
Please leave your name and contact details so we can thank you at the end of the campaign!
You can also drop your hats to William H Painter Funeral Directors, who are kindly collecting hats for us during office opening hours (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). They are on Dovehouse Parade: 343 Warwick Road, Solihull B91 1BQ.
Or email us at fundraising@ageuksolihull.org.uk and we may be able to arrange to collect them from you.
Knit with us!
Join our Knitting Drop-in Group and have a cuppa with us and chat to other knitters. Come alone or with friends!
- Every Thursday 1-3pm
- Lower Ground Floor, The Core, Solihull Library, Solihull B91 3RG (see instructions above for how to find us)
- Free to attend (donations always welcome)
- No need to book - just turn up
- Hot drinks and knitting patterns provided
- Bring your own wool and needles (let us know if you need wool and we'll see what we can do)
Contact us on fundraising@ageuksolihull.org.uk or 0121 704 7842 if you have any questions.
Did you know two fifths of older people say the TV is their only friend? Loneliness can be a big problem in later life, and as many as 200,000 older people said they hadn’t spoken to friends or family for over a month.
Hats knitted for Age UK Solihull help us make a big difference to the lives of older people in Solihull. Each hat that you send to us raises 30p, and the money raised can help us to provide advice, support and friendship to older Solihull residents who need us.
The Big Knit can also bring people together to knit and have a chat with one another. Look for a local knitting group, or arrange a regular meet up with friends to have a natter while you knit!
If you’ve ever bought a smoothie or knitted a hat, thank you for being part of the Big Knit.
Download our patterns
Basic patterns
Intermediate patterns
Expert patterns
Want to know more?
Contact our Fundraising Team on 0121 704 7842 (leave a message) or email fundraising@ageuksolihull.org.uk
If your query relates to Winter Warmth contact 0121 704 8080.