How BBK got hooked on knitting and became a force for good

Knitting needles and legal briefs don’t usually go hand in hand, but BBK is no ordinary workplace. People are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work.

BBK has a number of clubs to get involved in, and we are encouraged to set up new ones if we have ideas we’d like to introduce to the team. I love knitting and all the benefits that come along with it, and I’d always thought about setting up a club to get others into crafty hobbies so they could (hopefully) come to love it too.

This led to the creation of the BBKraft club, and I started thinking about what our first project could be. Here at BBK, we work with a number of charities and, as everyone is passionate about the work they do here, finding a way to combine knitting with a meaningful cause sounded like a good place to start.

Baby blankets can be just a simple square, so I thought this would be a good initial project that would mean anyone could get involved, irrespective of whether they had knitted before or not.

Cheryl Abrahams, a partner here at BBK, works closely with a number of our charity partners, so we worked together to find the best charity to approach. I was delighted when she told me the neonatal unit at the Royal London Hospital would love to accept our donation of knitted baby blankets.

The club was now a reality and, after reaching out for volunteers, I was pleasantly surprised by how many people wanted to get involved.

At the beginning of the year we had two initial meetups for volunteers to come and pick up their yarn and needles and have a lesson from me. Those who had knitted previously were then able to help others, the majority of whom had never knitted before.

I wanted new knitters to build their confidence, so I decided to make the blanket pattern a garter stitch, which is one simple stitch done over and over. For people who had knitted before, they had the freedom to play about with stitches to make stripes or borders, or any other design ideas they might have had.

Each month we have a lunchtime catch up for all the group members to knit together and catch up. Despite being what people would call a solo hobby, knitting can be really great at bringing people together and building community.

The collection of blankets built up over the course of a few weeks, and it was so wonderful to see all the different creations made by colleagues who had spent months doing something so meaningful. Learning a new skill gives a real sense of achievement, and having a physical item you have made yourself is really satisfying.

Knitting has become a big part of my personal life and has impacted me in a really positive way, so it feels special to bring this to work and share and connect with colleagues I may not spend time with usually.

To have so many colleagues who were willing and enthusiastic about using their own time for a good cause feels very fulfilling, and I’m very thankful to everyone involved.

I’m so delighted with the way this project went, and I’m looking forward to what is in store for the future of BBKraft! Watch this space…