Skip to main content

Loving Hands

614. Kate Gaunt

Kate, from Nottingham, is head of Loving Hands, manages a community of 1100 volunteers and 19 local groups to provide a huge variety of charities with much-needed knitted items.

From sensory balls for children with behavioural difficulties to coats for featherless ex-battery hens, Kate’s organisation has huge reach, producing up to 15 boxes of knitted items each week. Additionally, Kate maintains ‘Loving Hands’ beloved forum, described as a ‘lifeline’ for those unable to leave their homes.

In a personal letter to Kate, Prime Minister Theresa May said:

“Your tremendous dedication to ‘Loving Hands’ ensures that your army of volunteer crafters can support so many worthy charities across the world from the comfort of their own homes.”

Kate said:

“I was absolutely overwhelmed to be told I had received a Points of Light award for running the national Loving Hands Craft for Charity group. It is a wonderful organisation with around a thousand members knitting, crocheting and sewing items for charity. We have supported many charities over the years helping underprivileged children in the UK and abroad, adults and families in need of warmth and comfort and babies that are born early and need tiny clothes and blankets as well as many others.

“Each week I receive many packages of homemade items that I photograph to share with our members on our forum and the website. then share everything amongst the 20 plus charities that we support. When each charity has a box filled for them, I send it on it’s way. I have recently been liaising with the Sun on Sunday who have a blanket appeal running until Christmas, advising them, sharing patterns and  putting them in touch with Operation Orphan who run the Keep a Child Warm campaign. The blankets they receive will be sent to organisations working with children in need of warmth and comfort both at home and overseas.

“I would sincerely like to thank the Prime Minister, it is an absolute honour and privilege to be chosen for this award”

The daily Points of Light award recognises outstanding individual volunteers - people who are making a change in their community.

Volunteer now

Search winners