Louth Volunteer Centre is celebrating a heart-warming milestone in its social inclusion initiative, Blankets of Care which brings together volunteers of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, uniting them through the shared craft of knitting and crocheting.

Their mission? To create handmade beautiful and cosy blankets for local non-profit organisations that support people in need across Louth.

Under the compassionate leadership of Emma Walker, of Louth Volunteer Centre, who initiated and manages the project, Blankets of Care has become more than just a craft group—it is a space where friendships are forged over cups of tea and coffee, where skills are shared, and kindness is woven into every stitch.

To date, volunteers originally from nine different countries, including Ireland, have contributed to this project. Some attend the in-person group in Dundalk, while others knit or crochet from home, making participation as accessible as possible.

The generosity of these volunteers has resulted in 100 blankets being created and donated to six non-profit organisations, ensuring that those who may be facing isolation or loneliness or simply would appreciate such a personal gift, receive a handmade symbol of care and warmth. These included buggy blankets for young parents, lap blankets for older individuals living alone and comfort blankets for those receiving cancer treatment.

To mark the creation of the 100th Blanket of Care, Louth Volunteer Centre hosted a special appreciation morning of celebratory tea and scones where all volunteers gathered to hear words of gratitude from the organisations that have benefited from their work.

Every volunteer was personally thanked and received a Certificate of Appreciation for their contribution. All volunteers were welcomed to this project, from experienced knitters and crocheters to newcomers to wool crafts. Two volunteers in particular gave generously of their time and skills, Brenda in crochet and Gabrielle in knitting, in tutoring some of the less experienced volunteers.

Kayleigh Mulligan, Manager of Louth Volunteer Centre who initiated and led the project over the last six months, expressed her admiration for the volunteers, saying: "Every stitch in these blankets represents kindness, compassion, and a sense of belonging. Whether volunteers knit at home or join us in person, their contributions are making a real difference to people’s lives and creating genuine connections.

“Alone is one of the voluntary organisations who receive our blankets and deliver them personally to older people in Louth.  When we received this gorgeous thank you from Alone, we were extremely touched. It shows how, as Alone says, ‘It feels amazing to make someone feel amazing’”

Other organisations also voiced their appreciation. The Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre said “We would like to thank all the volunteers for their beautiful handmade blankets that were kindly donated to our Centre. Many of our clients would have a long road ahead of them with hospital appointments, treatments and recovery. The blankets were lovely gifts expressing kindness and care, when our clients needed it the most.”

The Ardee Day Care Centre also had kind words to thank the volunteers, “May I on behalf of all involved with Ardee Day Care Centre express our sincere gratitude to all the volunteers, who produced the beautiful Blankets of Care for our attendees. This lovely gesture is greatly appreciated by all of us, and we wish you all every success and happiness in your future lives here in Ireland.” 

Other recipients of the donated hand-crafted blankets included the Drogheda branch of Youth Work Ireland (Young Carer's), Drogheda and District Support for Older People, and Lifestyle Development in Drogheda.

The group is seeking a Volunteer Coordinator for the Blankets of Care, this would likely involve a few hours a week e.g. attending the group to help set up the room, liaising in relation to wool donations and blanket drop-offs to the recipient charities and helping create a welcoming atmosphere. So a warm, friendly and organised person would be ideal, you don’t even have to know how to knit!

Non-profit organisations in Louth can request Blankets of Care for their service users by contacting Louth Volunteer Centre. Meanwhile, the project is greatly in need of wool donations to continue its work—any contributions can be dropped off at the Louth Volunteer Centre offices either in Drogheda and Dundalk.

If you’d like to get involved—whether as the Volunteer Coordinator, or by knitting, crocheting, donating wool — please reach out to Louth Volunteer Centre and become part of this meaningful initiative. Because when we knit together, we create more than just blankets —we create community.

Interested? Like to learn more?  Give Louth Volunteer Centre a call or drop into their offices: Drogheda Office: Bolton Street – 041 9809008 Dundalk Office: 042 9392934  or email on info@volunteerlouth.ie  You can also visit www.volunteerlouth.ie where you can also search for other volunteer opportunities.