Thanks to a kind donation from a local craft group, palliative care patients at Healesville Hospital and Yarra Valley Health will be able to sleep in the best conditions.
After the traumatic Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, local women formed a craft group called Fireside Crafters.
Barbara Lewis, one of the founding members of the group, said the group was formed in an emergency centre at the old IGA building in Yarra Glen.
“There were clothes, food and other stuff in the emergency centre and people would come and get them. I was one of the volunteers there,” she said.
“There was a lot of material, wool and stuff coming in, and people were saying ‘they haven’t got anything to do’.
“So I said ‘We need a craft group’, that’s how it started.”
Fireside Crafters has a regular meeting every Wednesday where the group members can come together and have a chat but also share craft ideas.
The group has been donating the quilts to Healesville Hospital and Yarra Valley Health for palliative care patients for over five years.
Fireside Crafters secretary Cheryl Deighton said she had a connection with the hospital as her husband receives infusions at the hospital every 28 days as part of his cancer treatment.
“I got to know the head of nursing there, and she asked us to do quilting, and that’s how it basically started,” she said.
“Before Christmas last year, we donated seven quilts to the hospital.”
“Prior to that, in 2011, we made quilts which we sent up to Ipswich, Queensland, following the floods,” group member Kaye Coles said.
The group also does other things like spinning, weaving and knitting.
They also donate scarves, mittens and beanies they make to HICCI.
Another group member Vivien Smith said the group also shared the fabrics, that they don’t use, with other local groups.
“Because we only use 100 per cent cotton fabric, we pass anything else we get to other groups,” she said.
“We keep our total scraps like an inch wide or even less and give them to Yarra Glen Op Shop as well.”
Along the journey, the group has supported each other to reconnect with the community, share their stories and recover from their own tragedy after losing everything to the bushfires.
Fireside Crafters has also tried to give back to the community with what they make from their activities.
Federal Casey MP Aaron Violi visited the Fireside Crafters’ regular Wednesday meeting to get to know about the origins of the group and how the group has overcome the trauma of the Black Saturday bushfires.
Mr Violi said Fireside Crafters is a great example of the community spirit which the Yarra Valley has, turning the horrors of bushfires into positive impacts on the local community.
“It’s really inspiring and inspirational to be here to talk to Cheryl and other group members,” he said.
“They are now giving back to the Healesville Hospital and they also sent quilts up to Ipswich, Queensland when there were floods.
“This community group is a great example of turning a real tragedy into an ongoing positive aspect for our community but more importantly, for all the women that are involved here, it gives them a real sense of connection and community socialisation.”
Fireside Crafters is now recruiting more members.
People wishing to join the group are welcome to turn up at the old scout hall in George Miller Reserve located at 140 Steels Creek Road, Yarra Glen during the regular Wednesday meeting between 12.30pm and 3pm or contact secretary Cheryl Deighton via phone at 0419 293 277.
