A small group of Whakatāne knitters is helping provide warmth and comfort to children in need through Mission Cover-Up, a nationwide initiative that sends handmade blankets, hats, and jumpers to Eastern Europe.

The group is run by co-ordinator Louise Atwood, who saw the war in Ukraine on the news and wanted to help. After contacting Operation Cover-Up, she was asked to become the Whakatāne co-ordinator.

“I started very simply by inquiring about the contributions to Ukraine, really, and just blossomed into having contact with Operation Cover-Up,” Atwood said.

The mission provides knitted goods for children in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Albania, and Bulgaria, where winter temperatures can drop as low as minus 25 degrees.

The group is made up of around 20 people, many of whom are retirees, but Atwood said anyone could get involved.

The group does not meet regularly to knit together; instead, members knit in their own time, often while watching television or during spare moments.

“You don’t have to be retired; anyone can join us and help these kids. They just need to knit in their own time like the rest of us,” Atwood said.

People do not have to be experienced knitters to contribute. The group also accepts knitted squares, which can be sewn together into blankets, as well as donations of wool.

Atwood said the project has become meaningful for many people involved, giving knitters a sense of purpose while creating something that can make a lasting difference.

“It’s extremely satisfying; the joy, the love and the care when you’re knitting and you think, 'well, some poor soul’s going to be warm’,” she said.

Last year, the Bay of Plenty region sent 755 kilograms of knitted goods, including 311 blankets, 836 hats, 116 gloves, and 298 knitted jumpers ranging from sizes for four-year-olds to 13 years and older.

The knitted items are collected each year and sent overseas, where they are distributed to children and families through Operation Cover-Up and Mission Without Borders.

Atwood said the group is always looking for more people to become involved, whether through knitting, donating wool, or simply spreading the word.

“I know a lot of people who knit, and I know a lot of people have got the wool that they don’t use.

“I’m just hoping that the word will spread and people will become involved,” she said.

Anyone interested in joining the group or donating wool can contact Louise Atwood on 021 172 4980.