Knitting needles were busy in the Meneage area of the Lizard Peninsula just before Christmas, as volunteers made scarves for children in Romania.

Figures are now in for the efforts of the ladies who gave up their time for the cause. The Porky Street Knitters in St Martin, who knit all year for various charities, produced 55 scarves this year – mostly by Glen Bray and Pam Blee.

These were added to those produced in and around the Manaccan area, with the total then taken into Helston by Hazel Jeffrey as part of the Samaritan’s Purse Children’s Christmas shoebox appeal.

This resulted in 234 colourful scarves, 96 hats and 20 little jumpers for babies being sent from the Meneage parishes to Romania in the boxes, which in many cases were the only Christmas presents received by children in the country.

A total of 5,480 shoeboxes, filled with gifts, toiletries and clothes, were sent from Helston, collected from towns and villages in West Cornwall.

The Pork Street Knitters also make squares for blankets, little vests and hats for African babies, woollen hats for soldiers in Afghanistan to wear under their helmets and small sets of hats, coats and booties for premature babies.