NCC Volunteers recognised at Proud of Bucks awards

Charity News, Fundraising News, Volunteer News
July 4, 2023
By: Bonnie

We are thrilled that our Nightingale Country Crafts group were recognised at this year’s Proud of Bucks awards, run by Aylesbury Community Board, receiving Highly Commended in the Community Group Contribution category.

Nightingale Country Crafts is a group of dedicated volunteers who make baby clothes, toys, blankets, tea cosies and decorations which are sold in our shops and at events such as Bucks County Show. All of the money raised through the sale of their crafts is donated to Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. Since 2008 the group have raised well over £30,000 to help support the charity provide dedicated specialist hospice care for local patients and families across Buckinghamshire and its borders.

The group was set up in 2008 as a way of co-ordinating the regular contributions of home-crafted items which were given to the charity. In 2011 volunteer Jan Adams took over the running of the group, coordinating the distribution of wool and the collection of goods from members. Jan continues to organise the group of volunteers, welcoming new recruits, co-ordinating designs and goods for Easter and Christmas and liaising with the charity’s shops to sell their products. Jan become involved with fundraising for the charity after her father was cared for at the Hospice over 20 years ago.

Over the past 15 years, many local individuals have been involved in the group, giving their time, and often their own materials, knitting and crafting hundreds and thousands of items, all of which have been sold to raise funds for Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity, to help support local patients and families who have been diagnosed with life-limiting illnesses.

Many of the crafters have seen at first-hand the impact of the service themselves, and some of the Hospice’s patients themselves have been members of the group over the years.

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the group over the years, and a very special thank you to Jan who has been leading the group since 2011, welcoming new recruits, co-ordinating designs and goods and liaising with our shops to sell their products.

You can find out more about volunteering with Nightingale Country Crafts here.