6th May 2022
The Crafting Club at Muckamore Abbey Hospital has raised more than £1,200 for local causes through their successful card making project.
Rita McCormack, a committed member of the crafting club, has been making beautiful handmade gift cards, for more than four years. Rita is supported by Frank Holmes – the Arts Care Artist in Residence – to create bespoke cards for all occasions including birthdays, christenings, Easter and Christmas.
Frank explains:
“We started creating the cards as a bit of fun with the Crafting Club members. They all enjoy the process of designing and creating their unique cards and Rita, in particular, is a prolific card maker and really enjoys it. Staff from the wards and friends and families members have made donations in exchange for the cards and we even set up a stall at St Anne’s Cathedral during the Learning Disability Carol Service. This was a great achievement for our Crafting Club and we’re really proud of what Rita and the group have achieved.
“So far we have raised more than £1,262 for good causes in the local community including Riverside Special School, Antrim and the NI Children’s Hospice. The charities we support are selected by the group members and we’re pleased that despite the challenges of COVID we been able to continue to successfully fundraise through the cards. Rita is a great saleswoman but more importantly she is really enjoys making the cards and the sense of achievement of supporting causes close to her heart”.
Rita recently presented a cheque for £681.49 to representatives from Horizon House, NI Children’s Hospice and hopes to continue her successful fundraising this year with the support the Crafting Club members.