aHug is a UK based charity seeking both knitters to donate their time and skills and financial donors to enable them to deliver knitted hugs to cancer patient. Here is their story:
In 2018, one family’s lives would never be the same after a cancer diagnosis.
A woman who is at the same time a mother, a wife, a daughter and a best friend was given the news that she had endometrial cancer. A shock to all but something that would change each member of this family’s perspective on life and kickstart an amazing family venture.
Going through cancer treatment can cause neuropathy (when your fingers and toes go numb and keeping them moving seems to help). So, Carol-Anne (aHuG’s founder) reached for the knitting needles and began knitting constantly to keep her fingers active.
After months and months of knitting, she decided to create two beautiful, hand-made scarves for her daughters – Ali Bali Bumble Bee and Hannah Banana – who were living away from home as students. The idea was that these scarves would be used by the two girls when they felt like they needed a hug from their mum.
And so the charity aHug was born.
The volunteers came flooding in.
The stalls were set up, events were attended, and knit-ahug-kits were sold.
Five months on and aHuG has over 750 volunteers, 350 aHuG’s have been given to cancer patients, four hospitals are on board and three big events have been completed successfully.
The dream was to create something made with love for people who go through the scary experience of a cancer diagnosis. Patients can use their aHuG’s for many purposes, to keep them warm, to snuggle while getting treatment or to cover their head after hair loss. The charity wants to capture that comforting and reassuring feeling of getting a hug and give it to those who arguably need it the most.
In 2020, the aHuG Team plan to launch their WOW or with-or-without bands which are multi-functional bands to be worn as a neck scarf, hat or hair band. With several other volunteer projects in the pipeline.
If you’re interested in getting involved visit ahug.co.uk where you can become a volunteer knitter/crocheter or make a monetary donation to keep the charity going and stocked up on wool.
