Ballinasloe Crafty Girls meet in the library and focus on creating crafts benefiting the community.

Description

The Ballinasloe Crafty Girls have been meeting weekly in the library in Ballinasloe for almost 20 years and they focus on creating beautiful craft pieces in a welcoming warm environment. Under the expert direction of Carol Slevin, the group have long been involved in various charity activities including making lap blankets for hospices and hats for premature babies. When COVID hit and the group were unable to meet in person they remained a strong support for each other via WhatsApp.

During this time and with the support of library staff the Ballinasloe Women’s Group were meeting virtually and were looking for activities that could be undertaken at home. Carol from the Crafty Girls volunteered to make ‘Learn how to Crochet’ packs for each member of the Womens Group and everyone got a pack which included needles, wool and instructions. The Ballinasloe Women’s Group also meets weekly in the library and is a vibrant group that represents the diverse cultures that live in Ballinasloe.

This initiative was a huge success bringing together two enthusiastic groups of women who offered each other company, chats and fun in difficult times. Both groups were supported by Galway Public Libraries and Galway Rural Development for materials etc. After these connections were made the groups decided to work together on a project with the Ballinasloe Crafty Girls taking the lead.

It was decided to undertake a Yarnbombing project to bring sunshine and smiles to the people of Ballinasloe. 2022 was the 300th anniversary of the Ballinasloe Fair and Festival so it seemed a good opportunity to launch the project in the weeks coming up to the Fair to showcase the upcoming festivities and to bring colour and fun to the town. The initial launch was a huge success attracting many visitors to the iconic sculpture of a horse and jockey in the main square. To celebrate the history and culture of the Travelling Community the group also made a replica traditional caravan that was on display in the library. Such was the success of the Yarnbombing that instead of being on display for a couple of weeks the pieces were left in place for the rest of the Summer.

Since Summer 2022 the Yarnbombers have brought fun and colour to Ballinasloe at Halloween, Christmas, St Patrick’s Day, Heritage Big Boats Festival, Easter and Darkness into Light. The initiative has been such a success that the group has been bombarded with suggestions for more events and activities. The Yarnbombing project was highlighted by Ballinasloe News, a local magazine with a large social media presence and so was brought to the attention of the wide Ballinasloe community and the Ballinasloe diaspora.

Support to East Galway and Midlands Cancer Care
A group member noted that the group had previously donated to the hospice and thought it would be good to support a local charity. Consequently, the women set to work creating an incredible collection of crocheted and knitted items to be donated to Galway East and Midlands Cancer Care. These beautiful garments included shawls, jackets, snoods, blankets, wraps and much more. These are used by clients in the Centre and also are available for clients travelling to and from the hospital.

Such was the quality of the craftmanship that some of the items were included in a raffle to raise funds for the Centre. At a get-together in the Cancer Care Centre attended by representatives of the Crafty Girls, the Ballinasloe Women’s Group and library staff, the residents and the staff were blown away by the quality and colour of the items. Mostly they were almost brought to tears by the time commitment and love that the women put into the crafted clothes.

A follow on from this connection was a commitment that members of the group would stay in touch with the Cancer Care Centre, and they offered to run informal classes for the clients.

Collaboration with Féileacáin
In March the group met with the lovely Jacinta from Féileacáin who visited the library to meet with the Ballinasloe Crafty Girls and Karyn from Galway Rural Development who along with Galway County Council supports the group. Féileacáin was formed in 2009 by a group of bereaved parents to offer support to anyone affected by the death of a baby around the time of birth.

The Crafty Girls have been knitting blankets for Memory Boxes, which are provided by Féileacáin to parents who lose their baby around the time of birth. The Memory Boxes offer information and support as well as artifacts that support parents in creating precious memories in the short time they have with their baby.

This group is an excellent example of collaboration, community spirit and fun. They bring joy, happiness and sunshine wherever they go.

Aim of Initiative

The aim of the initiative is to bring people together on a weekly basis with the aim of teaching them new craft skills such as knitting, crochet, sewing etc. The group places a huge emphasis on the fact that this is a warm, friendly space for everyone. They welcome new members, visitors and have lots of chats and fun.

The group aims to bring cheer and colour to beautiful Ballinasloe and to connect with other local groups and initiatives.

Through incredible generous donations the group has supported local cancer sufferers through links with Galway East and Midlands Cancer Care. On a wider scale they have donated a large selection of white Baby Blankets to Féileacáin for the Memory Boxes they provide to bereaved families on the loss of a baby.

Who is it aimed at

• Ballinasloe Craft Girls Members.
• The local people of Ballinasloe as well as tourists who enjoy taking photos alongside our beautiful work at local landmarks, the Marina & the town centre.
• Cancer patients who use EGM Cancer Centre.
• Bereaved Parents/families who have lost a baby.
• Library members who get to see their beautiful work on display through out the building.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Having access to a warm, welcoming room and the full support of the wonderful Staff at Ballinasloe Library. It is vital that the group have a ‘home’ that is ready and waiting for them every week. It is also important that there is no cost to this room, that it is warn and heated and that there is access to facilities. There is also access to teas and coffee should the group want some. Meeting in the library also ensures that the visibility in for the group and their works in the community.
2. Having a wonderful class of Crafters of every level who contribute their time and skill to each other and to the local community. The Yarnbombing aspect of this project also benefited from collaboration with the Ballinasloe Women’s Group. Both groups worked together to deliver a successful project. The biggest asset is having access to a brilliant leader in Carol Slevin who is the shining light of the project. Receiving amazing feedback from the public to the Yarnbombing has lifted everyone’s spirits and greatly contributed to the continuing success of the project.
3. Due to the costs and scale of the projects this would not be possible without funding for materials from Galway Rural Development and Galway County Council. Thanks to both organisations and to Europe Direct Ballinasloe for the supports.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Due to the success of the project the group in encountering a challenge due to a lack of yarn/supplies to make donations. The group has received financial support for materials from Galway Rural Development and from the Europe Direct Centre at Ballinasloe Library but due to the high volume of output the group sometimes depend on their own personal donations to complete the work.
2. Again due to the success of the project the group currently has a lack of storage for completed and in progress work and for the collection of yarn and equipment.
3. The group would like to note that it was emotionally challenging making the blankets in particular for Féileacáin, knowing that from each pair, one would be a keep-sake for the parents and one would be buried with baby.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. There are wonderful reactions to the Yarnbombing from the people of Ballinasloe. It is commonplace to see locals & tourists alike taking photos beside the groups’ work. In a very short space of time this initiative has become a staple of community life. People ask when it is happening again and look forward to the next blast of colour. It has lightened peoples heart and brought colour and vibrancy to the town. Visitors love it and it has became a small tourist attraction.
3. All of these initiatives have introduced them to new groups of friends from across Ballinasloe. They regularly meet with the Ballinasloe Women’s Group to celebrate Christmas, International Women’s Day, Easter and more. They are delighted to meet new friends in the Cancer Care Centre and in Féileacáin and look forward to contributing to these wonderful charities in the future.