Shipley care home residents 'knit and natter' for Bradford Royal Infirmary Neonatal Unit

Two ladies knitted more than 160 items for Bradford Royal Infirmary’s Neonatal Unit after rising to a challenge set by a member of staff at their care home.Jean Rhodes, 89, and Pauline Robinson, 83, are members of the knit and natter group at Czajka Care Group’s Brookfield Care Home in Nab Wood, Shipley.
By Grace Hammond
Published 5th Jan 2024, 11:45 BST

The home’s activities coordinator Andrea Ingham said: “We are always looking at ways in which our talented residents can support the local community, and we thought linking up with Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) would be a great project. We talked to Jean and Pauline about our idea, and they were very keen to rise to the challenge. We know people who work at the hospital, and they explained that they always need bonding squares, bonnets and blankets, so we got to work.”

Jean, who is originally from Nab Wood, moved into Brookfield Care Home four months ago. She said: “It’s lovely to come back to Nab Wood after living with my daughter in Mexico. I used to be the head secretary and bursar at Belle View Girls School, so I didn’t have much time to knit in those days but since retiring I have always enjoyed knitting. It’s nice to be a part of the knit and natter group and Pauline and I started work on the things for the hospital in October.”

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Pauline has lived in Nab Wood for over 20 years. She initially moved into Czajka Care Group’s retirement homes at Fairmount Park before moving into Brookfield Care Home last year. Pauline said: “I used to work for the fashion brand Gratton before retiring and have family that I often knit for. When Andrea talked to Jean and I about the babies at the hospital, we both knew we wanted to help. The bonding squares are used to give the babies their mum’s scent, but they can only be used once, so they need lots of them.”

Jean and Pauline deliver their knitted items to the Bradford Royal Infirmary Neonatal Unit.Jean and Pauline deliver their knitted items to the Bradford Royal Infirmary Neonatal Unit.
Jean and Pauline deliver their knitted items to the Bradford Royal Infirmary Neonatal Unit.

Andrea added: “Jean and Pauline have totally taken this on as their own project and been very serious about it. After dinner they often go straight back to their knitting instead of other activities, and we can’t believe the number of bonding squares, bonnets and blankets they have made in such a short space of time – it’s very impressive!”

BRI’s Neonatal Unit provides all levels of newborn medical care and intensive care to babies from Bradford and across the Yorkshire region. It is also home to an Intensive and High Dependency Care Unit.

Andrea, Jean and Pauline all visited the unit to hand deliver the items. “The team were ever so grateful to us, and it has made Jean and Pauline feel very valued,” said Andrea.

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Next, they hope to work with with Airedale Hospital, while Jean and Pauline would also like to volunteer at the BRI.

Brookfield Care Home looks after 37 residents. Its team of 45 care professionals provide full-time care, respite care, palliative care, day care and short breaks at the purpose-built home, which is part of a wider development at Fairmount Park, including The Clubhouse leisure facility, on Nab Wood Drive in Shipley.

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