Maker Spotlight: Hearts of Hope
Maker Spotlight: Hearts of Hope
Meet Emmy from Hearts of Hope UK
I often talk about the incredible generosity of makers, and how it seems to be in the nature of those who love to knit and crochet. There are so many ways to combine crafting with charity work, but in order for such projects to be a success, there must be a passionate person behind them committed to making a difference. For this Maker Spotlight I decided to feature Emmy from Hearts of Hope UK as I wanted to share the amazing hard work that she does. I first came across Hearts of Hope on Instagram. Immediately I was struck by the commitment of one selfless crafter, and the real difference her handmade items were making in the world. I knew I had to learn more about this amazing organisation and maybe inspire other crafters to join in and support the cause.
Emmy first learned to knit around the age of seven, taught and inspired by her grandma and the beautiful things she would make. ‘I didn’t start knitting seriously until I was about sixteen,’ Emmy told me. When lockdown happened during 2020, she immersed herself in knitting and started down the path of creating Hearts of Hope.
Like many makers, Emmy was creating a lot during lockdown, and this is how she began donating her handmade items. ‘I made so many things but didn’t have anyone to give them to, and I also really wanted to make a difference’. With the encouragement of her loved ones, Emmy began sharing her work online and was able to start accepting donations from family and friends. She made an Instagram page for Hearts of Hope, which grew considerably in a short amount of time.
Emmy’s original project was making hats for the homeless, and this gradually expanded to include sending donations to refugee camps and organisations. ‘I desperately wanted to help these people who had lost everything,’ she told me. ‘To me, this seemed like a perfect way to do so’. Hearts of Hope has collected many donations including hats, scarves, mittens, blankets, clothes, teddies and more, and has sent these all over the world. ‘We have sent donations all across the UK, and also to Malawi, Palestine, Turkey, Syria, and Canada. These donations go to people living in poverty, refugees, homeless people, orphanages, people living in war zones, and more.’ It’s amazing to see what a difference handmade items can make in someone’s life, and the hard work that Emmy does to make this happen.
“Our main three outlets for donations at the moment are Malawi, to Afghan refugees arriving in the UK, and for homeless people. We have an ongoing link with a school in Malawi, where approximately 200 vulnerable children attend. We send them a variety of items, such as handmade clothing, teddies, and blankets, and we currently have our Malawi Christmas Appeal.”
I was blown away by the amount of commitment and effort that Emmy pours into her organisation. Even though she is a full time student with a part time job, she spends 3-4 hours a day working on these projects. ‘I dedicate some days just to knitting,’ she told me. ‘I’ll spend around 8 hours just knitting, and doing social media and other admin jobs’. Juggling all of this, the support of family, friends and the online community goes a long way. ‘My partner helps with packing boxes to be sent off… and he always understands that my knitting comes everywhere with us!’
As if all the people in need that Emmy helps through Hearts of Hope wasn’t enough, she also has another goal for her charity knitting: to make it eco-conscious. After researching eco-friendly fibres and learning how to upcycle old knitting projects, she is now able to give those in need access to clothing without contributing to the fast fashion industry: ‘Our handknitted items are helping to educate people about fast fashion and climate change’.
There are many ways other makers can get involved. ‘At the moment, we have a large Christmas Appeal for a foundation we support in Malawi, where we need 200 children’s hats, books, teddies, and bags donating, so if you’re interested in getting involved, that’s a great place to start’. Make sure you check out Emmy’s Instagram page for more information about this (@heartsofhopeuk). I also asked what type of yarn crafters can use for their donated items, to which the answer is: any. ‘We accept any as we understand that some creators prefer certain yarns, and we always find it helpful that we have varieties of yarns used in projects, as there could be recipients allergic to certain fibres’.
If you’re interested in charity knitting, don’t be shy in reaching out on Instagram! ‘Without social media, I don’t think I’d have met anyone who knits for a cause. Thanks to Instagram I’ve managed to connect with many different creators who have so kindly began knitting and/or crocheting for Hearts of Hope’. I asked Emmy about some of her favourite projects to donate, which include chunky knit hats that work up quickly and teddy bears. ‘We have given many children in Malawi their first toy, and it is always so special seeing their smile, and knowing it is due to the teddy I (or someone else) made them’. Hearts of Hope truly is an inspiration, changing lives one handmade project at a time.
To inspire our subscribers too, I asked Emmy why makers should get involved, and I’m going to round off this article with the wonderful reasons that she shared with me. See the end of this article for contact details.
From Emmy at Hearts of Hope UK:
I could give a million reasons as to why knitting and crocheting for Hearts of Hope and running Hearts of Hope is one of the best things that ever happened to me, but I’ll give you just a few reasons why I especially love knitting for our cause.
If you love crafting like me, I’m sure you love to always be making something – if you’re making something for Hearts of Hope, you can always have a project waiting to make someone so happy!
The work we do, as mentioned earlier, is helping to slowly break the cycle of fast fashion. You could use recycled fibres or zero waste patterns to make your project even more eco-friendly.
Crafting is proven to help your mental health – it has certainly helped mine! It’s a great hobby to pick up, and this way it helps even more people!
And finally, the best thing about Hearts of Hope? And the thing that makes every hour spent working worth it? Knowing the joy someone is feeling when they receive their donations – I saw this when our donations arrived in Malawi. I cried tears of happiness seeing the children so joyful with their new jumpers and toys, and seeing how happy the mothers were to receive a handmade blanket for their baby. I feel so lucky that I’m able to help people on the other side of the world feel so much joy and love.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and learn about Hearts of Hope! If you would like any more information, have any questions, or would like to simply follow our journey, our Instagram is @heartsofhopeuk, and we can also be found on Facebook. If you wish to donate, click here for our Go Fund Me page.
On our social media, we are constantly updating people on our current appeals, fundraisers, and events. We currently are running a knit along collaboration with a small pattern designer, where we will make a hat together over four online video chat sessions. A portion of the profits from the pattern sales will be donated to our Malawi Christmas Appeal from this, so it’s a great way to get involved if you wish! To sign up, please get in contact with me via Instagram or Facebook.
Email: heartsofhopeuk@yahoo.com
