Our first project came about when one of our regular runners was expecting a baby. She’d experienced a stillbirth a few years previously, so pregnancy was a particularly anxious time for her and her family; she’d been advised not stop running and we all missed her very much, and felt very sad that we weren’t able to give her the love and support that we wanted to. Having been involved for a while with the Mumsnet Woolly Hugs blankets (made by Mumsnetters up and down the country to support and comfort people in the Mumsnet community in times of grief, loss or distress) I knew that working together to produce a knitted or crocheted blanket could be a really positive, tangible way to express all the love and support that we weren’t able to show our friend. And so Beverley Blanketeers was born, and we completed our first project in time to hand it over when our friend came along to introduce us to her gorgeous, and very healthy, baby. That blanket was made by a dozen hands, was a very lively colour combination, and was the start of a series of projects that continues to this day. We have made three woolly hugs to date, of various sizes and for various reasons but all of which embody the warmth, colour and character of our running community. 

As a community, it has given us a focus when things have been hard for one of our runners. It has given us a way of expressing our support when that would have been really difficult to do in words. It’s brought us together in ways that have often been surprising, showing us that we have real experts among us and it’s given them the chance to share their talents.