The Parkes Stitch and Bitch Quilting group has donated 25 quilts to the Canberra Women's and Children's Hospital at Woden.
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The hospital provides a high level of care to children from birth to 17 years suffering life threatening illnesses.
Four of the group, Beverley Purcell, Barbara Thompson, Beverley Thompson and Colleen Flynn travelled to Canberra to deliver the quilts.
“We were enthusiastically greeted by the staff of the hospital who were very appreciative of the donation,” Colleen said.
“We were given a welcoming morning tea followed by a tour of the new women's and children's wards.
“The facilities are magnificent. They have a Ronald McDonald House within the hospital which is quite rare.
“They also have a classroom so children can attend school and a large outdoors playground within the surrounds of the building.”
Eleven ladies form the Parkes Stitch and Bitch group, a group made up of friends.
Other members include Dale Matthews, Fran Dixon, Rhona Went, Leann Simpson, Marian Toohey, Merilyn Rodgers and Brenda Davies.
The members are currently working on a queen size quilt to donate to the fundraising committee of ‘Give Me 5 for Kids’ of which Colleen’s son, Jeremy (a former Champion Post journalist) is chairman in Canberra.
This committee was established by Southern Cross Austereo (Jeremy’s employer) some 20 years ago to support hospitals across Australia.
In Canberra alone they have raised $450,000 over the past four years, all of which goes to the Canberra Women's and Children's Hospital.
Colleen said the project to donate quilts to charity commenced about two years ago.
“We first donated quilts to the Parkes Palliative Care Group and we continue to support them,” she said.
“We decided that we wanted to support children with life threatening illnesses as well.
“It is very gratifying and satisfying to support such a worthy cause and we have a lot of fun doing so.
“Our only wish is that a quilt may provide a little comfort.
“All quilts are given for the patients to keep.”
The group acknowledged the generosity of Nellie's County Flair Patchwork shop in Forbes for allowing Bev Purcell to use their quilting machine, at no charge, to beautifully quilt all the quilts.
“Without their generosity (and Bev's skills) the finished result would not be the same,” Colleen said.
“We held one of our retreats over the weekend and on hearing we were doing so, Marcelle Armstrong from Marcelle's Patchwork Cottage very kindly donated two quilt kits.
“These are well on the way to completion and will certainly put a smile and provide some comfort to two very needy children.
“Our thanks go to Marcelle for her support,” Colleen said.
