PeerieMakkers project doubles fundraising target

A project set up to provide free knitting lessons to youngsters has doubled its fundraising target after raising £4,500.

Shetland PeerieMakkers project reached its initial target in 16 days with support coming from across the world. The group has raised the bar to £9,000.

That means funding is guaranteed for a one-year pilot project that will see volunteer tutors provide tuition in five parts of the islands.

The project is backed by the Brough Lodge Trust as part of their vision to support Shetland’s heritage.

Chairman, Pierre Cambillard, said: “People across the world have backed the idea. As well as contributions from Shetland, we’ve had huge support from Scotland, England, the United States and Canada and there have also been donations from Wales, Northern Ireland, Japan, France, Norway and elsewhere.

“The support has been about more than money, too. We’ve had dozens of messages from folk who obviously care very deeply about Shetland’s knitting culture and want to see it thrive.

“I want to thank every one of them for their generosity.”

The appeal is due to run until 11th December and M Cambillard added: “If we can raise that sum, we’ll fund a second session of lessons, from October 2016 to June 2017.

“By then, we’ll be able to use our new Shetland Knitting Tuition Blueprint, which we’ll develop by applying what we learn from the 2015/16 pilot year.”

The trust’s hopes to develop a programme of free hand knitting classes to youngsters all over Shetland, with the help of a number of volunteer knitting tutors.

“All the funds so generously donated will enable us to apply that carefully-designed blueprint, which could become a model for skills exchange in other communities around the world,” said Mr Cambillard.

Donations can be made at – http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/peeriemakkers-shetland.