Knit-for-Nowt is a non-profit organisation which appeals to knitters for handmade “Worry Monsters” and hand puppets which are then donated to therapists across the UK who work with seriously worried children and adolescents. In Britain today there are a huge number of children suffering through abuse, neglect, bereavement, mental health conditions such as autism, or who are living in a household where they are at risk. They are often very reluctant to articulate their worries, which can be extremely severe, and Worry Monsters and hand puppets have been found by psychologists to be one of the most effective ways of finding out what’s going on in their lives and of helping them.
The sooner you reach a child who is facing emotional difficulties in their life, the more help you can offer. NSPCC figures show that mental health referrals for under-11s have risen a third in just three years. That equates to 183 referrals every school day, or almost 35,000 requests for specialist support in 2017-18.
Knit-for-Nowt founder Clare says:
“Since the charity began in 2015, we’ve seen the demand for these sorts of items grow enormously, and we now receive a steady stream of requests for worry monsters and hand puppets from across the country, necessitating a waiting list. I’d like to appeal to knitters and stitchers, wherever you live, to send in homemade items to Knit-for-Nowt.
Worry Monsters and hand puppets are easy to knit and you can use your own creativity to enhance the basic pattern, meaning that each one is unique. Knitters have said that it’s wonderful to be knitting items which will ease children’s worries and be so much appreciated.”
“I am an art therapist, I work within a primary school with children who have experienced domestic violence, family separation, have worries and struggle with mainstream education. I also have a private practice where I work with children who have been sexually abused, are looked after in foster care or residential homes and also children who have experienced loss or separation. I use puppets regularly for the children to explore their stories in a way that feels safe for them, consider the reactions of others and learn about communication and expression. The type of puppets that your skilled volunteers produce are just not available anywhere”.
Please note that all items you make for this cause must comply with their safety guidelines and are checked before being passed on to teams working with children all over the UK.
For full details and patterns please go to www.knitfornowt.org or contact the organiser, Clare, on knitfornowt@gmail.com
