A GROUP of sewing students from Woodley Hill House have made tote bags for a Royal Berkshire Hospital community project.
The Open Access Sewing Group at Woodley Hill House, an Activate Learning Adult Education venue in Earley, meets on Thursday mornings.
Using fabric donated by local churches, and thanks to a volunteer who cut out the pieces for 50 bags, they have already completed more than 20 of them.
The handmade carriers will be given to families who have lost loved ones, providing a thoughtful and dignified way to take home personal belongings – and a meaningful alternative to plastic bags at what is a very difficult time for them.
Sewing student Lisa Preston said: “We have enjoyed making these tote bags as a group for such a worthy cause.
“They are very much appreciated by the relatives or friends of deceased patients, to take home their personal belongings in, instead of an impersonal carrier bag.”
Jane Amin, Learning for Leisure tutor at Activate Learning said: “It is very satisfying to see everyone working towards one outcome, with care and empathy for the relatives and the deceased.
“Making tote bags for people they don’t know, but knowing that the small act will hopefully bring comfort to the relatives, is very selfless.
“These sewing sessions are so much more than just sewing, they are a way for people to get together and foster a sense of belonging and community.”
Lisa Richardson, Bereavement Service Manager at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust thanked the sewing students for the beautiful tote bags they have created for the Bereavement Office.
“The care that has been put into these is clear to see, ” she said, and they mean we can offer bereaved families a dignified, respectful and caring way to collect and take home their loved one’s property.
“We always tell relatives that the tote bags are handmade by the students and donated to us, and I know that it’s something they truly appreciate.”
Activate Learning teaches a variety of sewing courses for adults who would like to learn and expand their sewing skills at Woodley Hill House.
For information, visit: adult.activatelearning.ac.uk/find-a-course or call: 0800 612 6008.
