Knitting teds to touch hearts

Meet the lady whose knitted teddy jumpers have raised more than £30,000 to help people living with a terminal illness…

Norah McGowan loves working as a volunteer receptionist for Marie Curie Hospice, Glasgow. But in her spare time she’s busy too, raising funds for the charity with her lovely knitted teddy bear jumpers and outfits. Norah has knitted a whole wardrobe of bear clothing and to date she’s raised a staggering £30,000 for the charity.

Norah first became involved with Marie Curie about ten years ago when a friend was cared for in the hospice. One day, as she was on her way out from visiting, a young woman came over to her to ask for a cigarette lighter. As she explained she didn’t smoke, the woman burst into tears and explained that her mum had just died in the last five minutes. Overcome with emotion, Norah gave her a hug and tried to reassure her.

But on the drive home, Norah kept thinking that the young woman could have been her daughter and there and then she decided she was going to become a Marie Curie volunteer so she could help other people like the young woman. Ever since, Norah has been a volunteer on the hospice reception and it was here that she first had the idea of knitting teddy bear jumpers. Someone brought in a handful of beautiful bears and asked if they could sell them to raise money ahead of Christmas. Thinking the bears would look even more gorgeous if they had a jumper to wear, she got to work knitting some wonderful woollens for them and has been doing the same ever since.

Norah gets her bears from charity shops, friends and the families of patients who bring them into the hospice and every teddy gets his own bespoke little outfit. Once kitted out, Norah then puts the teddies up for sale on reception for people to buy.

“Often it’s relatives who bring children with them who buy the teddies and once we had a lady who was a patient buy six of them for her grandchildren so they had something to remember her by which I found very emotional,” says Norah.

“The teddies are also something nice to bookend what can be a sad visit to the hospice. People often chat to me about the bears as they’re leaving and I think for a moment it takes their mind off what’s happening to their loved ones meaning they go home feeling that bit lighter,” says Norah.

Now with Christmas just around the corner Norah hopes to sell lots of bears at the annual gatherings the hospice host for loved ones of patients who have passed away there in the last year. But she relishes the challenge. “I get so much pleasure from doing this and it’s wonderful to see the happiness it brings other people,” says Norah.

Get knitting to help make a difference

If you’d like to join Norah in knitting teddy jumpers or outfits to raise money for Marie Curie, please send your creations to: Indlieb Saber, Media and Public Relations Team, Communications Department, Marie Curie, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP.

Once received, they’ll be sold and profits given to delivering expert hands-on care, emotional support and guidance to people living with a terminal illness and their families. If you’d like a knitting pattern to help guide you visit craftbits.com/project/teddy-bear-sweater

Even if you’re not a knitter, there are many ways of turning your hobby into a fundraiser. Call Marie Curie on 0800 716 146 or visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/fundraise to find out more