News, which just has to be shared, has just come in from Linda Barnard at Table View Library that they have won first prize in the UKS Helping Hands Competition - they have won R15 000.
Here's the background to the Community project for which the prize was awarded.
Linda writes:-
During August, as part of our 67 minutes for Mandela, we started the knit a row ‘n go project – blankets for Coronation Old Age Home in Oudtshoorn. Their plight was brought to our attention via Dalena’s daughter, who is a doctor at the local hospital and visits this old age home to render basic health services. This place is severely strapped financially – they no longer receive a state contribution, and staff have been working without payment for several months now. Often, there is no money for electricity, and it has been an extremely cold winter. A need for blankets/rugs was indicated, and so we started-
Baskets of needles and wool was made available in the library and people were invited to Knit just one row before they leave, and it was shown as a way of overcoming the frustration of wasting time while queuing for assistance at the issue desk.
The response was overwhelming – patrons remarked that it was high time something was done for the elderly – most people concentrate on babies, and forget about the elderly that have been abandoned or are in financial straits. Some took wool and needles home and returned with armfuls of knitted or crocheted squares ( we ran out of wool and hurriedly had to go and buy some extra) – others took squares home and sewed them together, and even knitted or crocheted edges around them. Still more sat down in the library and knitted away, while others brought all their odd balls of wool from home for others to knit up. We currently have 21 completed blankets and 3 more in process. Since we also mentioned that the babies in the hospital came from very poor families, some people knitted layettes and one person knitted a whole lot of teddy bears. We also received a donation of about 6 fleecy baby blankets.
Soon after we started this project, I received an email from UKS, inviting libraries to share their community projects with them, and stand the chance to win a cash amount to support the project. So, I completed the entry form, added a few photos, sent it off and promptly forgot about it.
This morning, I almost fell off my chair when I received the email below.
From: Anelise [mailto:anelise@uks.co.za]
Sent: 01 November 2012 09:34 AM
To: Linda Barnard
Cc: neesha@uks.co.za; 'Soretha Du Plessis'; 'Deen Shaik'
Subject: Helping Hands competition
Dear Linda,
Congratulations!! You are a winner in the Helping Hands Competition.
Please see official letter attached in this regard.
Kind regards,
Anelise Nieuwenhuizen
Business Development Co-ordinator
Universal Knowledge Software
Tel.: +27 (11) 375 4700
Fax: +27 (11) 375 4710
Skype: anelise.nieuwenhuizen1
Web: www.uks.co.za
