If you enjoy being creative and love to sew, knit, crochet, you can help enhance patients experience during their stay in hospital by donating your creations. Below are a few things you can make to help make a difference:

Christmas Knitting 

In the run up to Christmas we will be running a knitting stall in the entrance of Darent Valley Hospital to raise money for our Christmas Appeal. If you are able to kindly knit some Christmas toys, tree decorations, or stockings to hold treats for us to sell we would be extremely grateful. If you need some inspiration and some patterns to guide you then we have pulled together some free Christmas patterns that you can use to help us raise money for our Charity. Knitting_template_with_website_links_to_patterns.pdf

Incubator Nests

On Walnut Ward, our Special Care Baby Unit, we lay babies on these nests whilst inside the incubator to make them comfy and help them get cosy and snuggled. Simple nests with wading, minimal seams and quilting are great as they are a bit more comfortable for the babies.

Nests should be made approximately 22" long by 17" wide.
           

Incubator Covers

We put covers over the incubators to shield babies from bright light, to dampen noise and to stabilise the incubator temperature. Fun or baby type fabrics work fantastically!

Incubator covers should be made approximately 40” long by 35” wide. 

           

Bonding Hearts

Bonding hearts are a lovely way for parents to bond with their baby whilst they are separated. Each mother gets a pair of hearts, she wears one next to her skin and the other next to baby’s skin. They are then swapped over so each have the others special scent with them.  Below are some rough dimensions of the finished hearts, made with 100% cotton fabric please.

They are double sided material hearts and are really simple to make.

Crocheted Octopus

These wonderful little Octopus crochets help a premature baby feel safe.The tentacles of the octopus resembles the cord and reminds the babies of their time in the womb.

  

For instructions on how to create these little creatures, click here. 

Large coloured blankets

Trialled at other local Kent hospitals, the introduction of coloured and patterned blankets has helped reduce falls in elderly patients.

Brightly coloured blankets help show up the edges of the bed more clearly, as well as making the wards look more homely. Older patients, particularly those with Dementia, can find their way to and from the bed more easily. Patients get to keep the blankets they are given when they return home.

If you would like to knit a blanket then please make them patterned and use bright colours and 3ft square. 

Twiddle Muffs

For patients with delirium, these hand knitted creations help distract hands from pulling at drips and dressings. With buttons and detail inside and out to fiddle with they help keep hands busy. Examples of Twiddle Muffs are shown below.

Please bring any creations to the Hospital reception and we will distribute to the Wards.