Knit A Hat For A Sailor

The Sailors' Society is launching its 2008 Woolly Hat Campaign, which aims to be the biggest event of its kind.

The Woolly Hat Campaign provides seafarers arriving in the UK, often ill-prepared for our weather, with hand-knitted hats to keep themselves warm during the many months they are at sea.

The Society replaces isolation with belonging amongst some of the world's 1.2 million seafarers, through a network of Port Chaplains and Seafarers' Centres stationed in almost 100 Ports internationally.

Last year's Woolly Hat Campaign saw over 15,000 hats distributed to seafarers throughout the UK and to Russia, Antwerp and South America, with over 6,000 given as part of Christmas packages. The Society aims to break this total for the year and encourage people to knit woolly hats for a good cause.

"Many people forget that without the seafarer, everyday essentials that we take for granted would not reach our shores," explains Director of Fundraising & Marketing, Jan Webber.

"The Woolly Hat Campaign gives a direct reason for people to help the seafarer in his everyday life. These people often spend many months at sea in harsh conditions, sometimes not even speaking the same language as their colleagues. A simple act of gratitude can mean the world to these people, and by downloading a pattern and knitting a woolly hat, you are spreading the work of the Society and directly benefiting the seafarer at the same time. This is a great opportunity to get involved in a new hobby that is perfect for all ages."

Knitting has enjoyed an upturn in popularity over recent years, with celebrities including Uma Thurman, Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts and Goldie Hawn all quoted to have taken it up.

If you've been inspired to take up your needles, patterns may be downloaded via their website www.sailors-society.org, by emailing woollyhats@sailors-society.org, or obtained from the head office on 023 8051 5950.

You can also support the Society by taking part in 'Wear your Woolly Hat to Work Week' from 3rd to 9th February, by asking colleagues to sponsor you.

The Sailors' Society, formerly known as the British & International Sailors' Society, provides friendly and welcoming support to seafarers throughout the world, in 30 countries. A home from home for both current and retired seafarers and their families, the Society understands the pressures of the seafaring industry and offers practical help, which can be as little as the resource to contact loved ones after months away, to spiritual assistance and counselling in times of need.

Port Chaplains visit thousands of ships every year, directly accessing seafarers in need of their services. The Society is inter-denominational - Port Chaplains are always ready to provide advice and assistance, irrespective of a person's belief or nationality.

More information can be found at: www.sailors-society.org

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