Around six years ago, Sarah Sharples donated some wool to a group of people on Facebook who were making blankets and items for tiny babies in hospital... "I thought I'd love to have a go at that, went on YouTube and taught myself" she recalls "It was a hobby that I stumbled across and it's really rewarding to be able to use it to give something back."
Sarah began making and donating blankets, clothes and hats for babies at local maternity units and hospitals, and even created some crocheted catnip mice for Salford RSPCA...and then lockdown hit and the hobby really came into its own, cheering up the community when people were really down.
It began with little 'sending love in tough times' hearts being left on the door handles of around one hundred houses in her street, which she noticed were subsequently being hung in people's windows.
Sarah also made over two hundred 'ear savers', which are used to ease pressure on ears when wearing a mask, and donated them to Salford Royal Hospital, plus local doctors' surgeries, hairdressers, police and more. Over one hundred hearts were also delivered to palliative care home teams for both patients and their families who couldn't visit.
At Christmas, Sarah made robins which she and her two sons delivered to local houses, and then it all went a bit further afield with a menagerie of ladybirds, ducks, whales and, latterly seahorses, being hung from branches of trees around Media City and Lightoaks Park.
Sarah and sons originally hung about twenty hearts in the garden at Media City and put the Facebook tag Random Acts of Crochet Kindness on their labels.* People finding the items responded on the site with lots of appreciative return messages.
"Kids have had a rough time and it's a nice little thing to do" says Sarah "I've had messages like, 'My daughter has really struggled this lockdown and it's really cheered her up'; and it's, like, why would you not carry on doing something like that when you hear something like that?
"Both sons love coming with me and hiding them; we try to put them where no-one sees, hidden in bushes and trees" she adds "My youngest is ten and likes to pretend he's a ninja. One of his classmates actually brought one in for show and tell. They really enjoy helping me."
Not only has Sarah's hobby cheered up the community, it's also helped her and her family get through the coronavirus crisis – even though she has been doing it while holding down a full time job and home schooling her sons...
"It's something I do on my lunch break and while I'm watching telly, and it's been a really good thing, especially during lockdown" she explains "It's kept me busy, and given me something to do. As long as people want it, I'm happy to carry on doing it."
Her next project, on 22nd May, is part of #aheart4mcr, a group that will be putting hearts all over Manchester areas in memory of the Arena bombing victims. Sarah is hoping to create around two hundred hearts for people in her local area to support the initiative, as random acts of kindness shines metaphorical and woolly bright lights even on the darkest days...
* To see the Random Acts of Crochet Kindness Facebook site – click here
Main photo shows Sarah with cats who enjoyed those crocheted catnip mice
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