Everton in the Community's ‘Sit and Knit’ group, ran by the neighbourhood team are continuing in their mission to support ‘The Newborn Appeal’ at Liverpool Women’s Hospital despite the coronavirus pandemic by making the most of their passion for knitting whilst staying safe at home.

Outside of lockdown, the charity’s Sit and Knit group meet weekly at Everton in the Community’s ‘The People’s Hub’ where they come together to socialise and to knit.

The group was established in 2017 by the charity’s Neighbourhood team and Blue Mile retired resident, Lily, a former midwife. Together, along with a group of around ten members every week, they knit baby items which are made to fit around medical equipment.

More recently, the group have expanded to opening a shop inside Liverpool Women’s Hospital, ‘Little Woollens’, which is raising money for ‘The Newborn Appeal’ by selling the baby items knitted at the group. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the temporary suspension of Everton in the Community programmes, the group have been unable to meet since the lockdown restrictions took place in March, so in response, the charity’s Neighbourhood team have come up with an alternative to ensure the group can still keep up with their weekly tradition, but at home.

The Neighbourhood team have purchased crochet kits so that ‘Sit and Knit’ can continue where it left off before the group was suspended with all items knitted to be donated to Little Woollens at Liverpool Women’s Hospital once the lockdown lifts.

Prior to lockdown restrictions, the group had created more than 100 blue and white knitted items for the shop, with funds raised generated towards ‘The Newborn Appeal’, a cause which raises funds to provide services and facilities above what is normally provided through NHS funding. Also before the lockdown, Everton CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale and Director of Football Marcel Brands paid the group a visit at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. 

Everton in the Community’s Neighbourhood team supports the local residents and businesses living in the Blue Mile (Walton, Anfield, Everton and Kirkdale) and works to tackle the biggest issues within the local area, including social isolation, food poverty, keeping the community active and educating neighbours.

During the current crisis, the Neighbourhood team have provided residents with urgent and crisis support through food parcels, gas and electric vouchers and check in calls with a referral service set up for anybody in the local area who requires the charity’s support during these difficult times. To date, over 1,000 Blue Mile residents have been supported by the Neighbourhood team since lockdown measures came into place in March, and every week, the team makes over 280 calls and delivers food to over 100 neighbours. 

Neighbourhood Manager, Sarah Atherton said: “We have made it our duty as a charity and as a neighbourhood team to support the residents in The Blue Mile and further afield as much as we can during these unprecedented times.

“A lot of residents depend upon our programmes throughout the week for their own personal wellbeing, including our ‘Sit and Knit’ group. For many participants, our programmes were a big part of their daily lives; where possible we’ve tried to make sure our projects are as active as we can make them during Covid-19, and that includes regular check-in calls to participants to make sure they’re coping with the times.”

For more information on the projects delivered by Everton's Neighbourhood team, please contact neighbourhood@evertonfc.com.