News Update - SPECIAL NEWSLETTER - AUGUST 2007

CLICK HERE FOR LATEST TALLY AND DESTINATIONS.....

Ken and Lyn Begley and Elsie Mutton have now completed their project re-organisation and thank you for your patience during this critical and vital process.

They write:

We have been able to arrange for each State to operate independently . The project has grown so fast over the last twelve months, with the pattern passed on to so many people and organizations it became impossible for us to coordinate the whole of Australia.

FROM NOW ON.... we will only be dealing with the Victoria side of the project.

FROM NOW ON... we ask that all knitting sent from Victoria be delivered or posted to Nunawading University of the Third Age. Nunawading Community Centre, 16-20 Silver Grove. Nunawading. 3131. Melways ref 48/E/9.

Deliveries during the hours of 9.30 to 3pm Monday to Friday please.

If you are unable to deliver during these times please telephone 03 9878 3898 to make other arrangements. We have managed to gather together a group of people who will help us with the packing and transporting to a warehouse until the knitting is shipped out to the children. This action was needed to draw the whole project away from our homes.

All other States please see bottom of this letter for your contact.

(We still need to find someone or organization to run Queensland)

We are now only asking for the larger size jumper . You may also wish to knit a beanie and scarf to match don’t worry about the finished size of the jumper what ever size yours turns out to be will fit a child somewhere in the world. If you would like to adapt the pattern for an even larger size please do so as we have found that there are many older children that tend to miss out on warm clothes. Knitted or crochet blankets are always welcome ,and would be a wonderful gift for a child, ideally to measure 1.5 metres square. Please use your own patterns for the scarf, beanie and blanket. Please pass this information on to anyone you know who is knitting for us .

**** The original baby jumper pattern is now phased out..

FOR THE NEW SIZED JUMPER PATTERN....

CLICK HERE FOR WORD DOCUMENT FORMAT OR HERE FOR PDF FORMAT

There's also news regarding the Beanie, Scarf, Blanket & Comfort dolls....

CLICK HERE FOR WORD DOCUMENT FORMAT OR HERE FOR PDF FORMAT

There has been much publicity about this project, some of it not always accurate. Before you do any publicity please check with one of us to make sure you have up to date information. A message can always be left on 9878 3898 and we will get back to you.

We are always looking for containers that are being shipped overseas in which we can include your knitting. This could be a significant financial savings for us. If you have any contacts or hear of any organizations that would like to include some of the knitting please let us know by calling 03 9878 3898 or email: copper@vic.chariot.net.au or elsiem@bigpond.net.au

Thanks to all who have made monetary donations and/ or have sent postage stamps. It's most most welcome and we rely on this to enable us to continue helping the vulnerable children who are suffering out there.

If you would like to make a donation towards the cost of shipping, no matter how small please make cheque or money order out to Australian AIDS Fund Incorporated. Its address is PO BOx 1347,Frankston,Victoria, 3199.The President Mr Brian Haill will issue a tax deductible receipt. Please visit his web site for information regarding the knitting www.aids.net.au

Don’t forget if you would like to be kept up to date with the latest news and do not have an email address enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your goods.

The three of us Elsie, Ken and Lyn, thank you all for the wonderful response to our original appeal. From the plea to knit for the small babies of Africa we have grown to help children all over the world.

To date we have managed to get well over one quarter of a million jumpers away to the children, thanks to the love and committment of you all.

We do hope that you will continue to support the project in your state, there are still many children who need our help not only overseas but also within Australia.

Listed below are some collection points that we have in Victoria, if you would like any of these contacts please call 03 9878 3898 or email: elsiem@bigpond.net.au but remember the main drop off point is the U3A office at Nunawading.

Happy Knitting.

Kind regards, Ken & Lyn Begley and Elsie Mutton.

Victoria Drop off points as below:-

The Mornington Peninsula, Boronia, Oakpark, Geelong, Hampton, Sunshine, Kyneton, Murrembeena, Werribee. Lilydale, Frankston, Leongatha, West Rosebud, Ararat, Donald, and Mildura.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NSW KNITTERS :-
Click HERE for Word Document format or HERE for a PDF format

Queensland:

Karen Gard.
Telephone : (07) 3888 0107
Mobile : 0407 177 657
Email: jumpers4thechildren@hotmail.com

South Australia:

Kathie Montague
PO Box 307 Echunga. 5153
Telephone: 8388 8071

or

Gael Harrison.
5 Centre Way. Belair. 5052
Telephone: 8278 3196

West Australia:

Marcia Stretch.
Curves Kwinana Gym
40-46 Meares Ave. Kwinana.
Telephone: 9439 3633

Tasmania:

Dianna Morrison.
Telephone: 0408994883
or
email: dianamorrison1961@hotmail.com

News Update - July 21, 2007

Incredible!

The number of hand-knitted woollen jumpers made and now shipped abroad stands at 233,000. Not too far away from one quarter of a million!!!

The latest STOP PRESS news from Ken & Lyn Begley is especially important for all our knitters Australia-wide to read now. It also details State contacts which so many have asked about.

To read STOP PRESS:

• click HERE for word document version or
• click HERE for a PDF version.
  

The latest production and distribution has seen:-

• Another 8,000 knitted jumpers go to Eastern Europe
• A further 1,500 head off to the Sudan
• Another 1,500 go to East Timor (via Rotary)
• 1,650 go to Mongolia....
• AND 15,000 shared out between Zambia, Tanzania, East Timor, Vanuatu, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

***A further 500 dolls are also on the high seas, bound for Cambodia.

Another whopping thank you to Ken and Lyn Begley and Elsie Mutton and their national army of State co-ordinators and knitters.

*****Please be sure to read the latest STOP PRESS item (above)

Flash! - July 2, 2007

Two items of importance today!

1. STOP PRESS announcement for ALL knitters to read as a matter of urgency.
   (Click here for Word Document version)
   (Click here for a PDF version)
2. The following article was published today in the Melbourne Herald Sun newspaper:

"Knitters warm the world"

pride of australia medal 2007

"Orphaned, ill and underprivileged babies worldwide are wearing warm woolly jumpers thanks to Cranbourne grandparents Lyn and Ken Begley.

More than 200,000 newly knitted jumpers have been sent overseas in a project that began with 10 leaflets printed from their home computer 11 months ago.,

An army of knitters from every Australian State and some from overseas have inundated the Begleys with donations.

Four patterns are circulating - a baby jumper, beanie, bootees and a knitted doll - and donations (of clothing) keep flooding in.

The couple were initially inspired by the desperate plight of African babies orphaned by AIDS, feared to reach 20 million by 2010.

But now they send woollies to babies throughout Africa and in Cambodia, East Timor, El Salvador, Rumania, Albanie and Israel.(Plus other countries too)

"We never dreamt it would grow like this," Mrs Begley said.

"Ken printed out 10 pamphlets and we sent them to friends and family, about August/september (last year), just a little story about the little AIDS-affected babies in Africa.

"And then it just grew,People were passing it on from one person to another, photocopying, then it got into nursing homes and hospitals.

"So it's sort of spread all over the world.

"Sometimes we go away for a day and come home and we can't get into the house. We've got another 25,000 jumpers here now."

The couple have been so overwhelmed they have been forced to suspend operations while they form a local committee to run the project.

"It shows how so many poeople want to help, and I think if every lady in the world did two jumpers, there wouldn't be a cold baby in the world," Mrs Begley said.

Mr Begley, 69, who was a policeman for 40 years, and Mrs Begley, 65, run the project along with Doncaster East grandmother, Elsie Mutton.

The woollies are shipped overseas to children in orphanages, hospitals, and refugee camps.

"There are suffering children everywhere, millions of them, and if we can give them a little bit of warmth, and a little knitted doll, we're happy." Mrs Begley said.

She said she was "totally embarrassed" to be nominated for a Pride of Australia medal.

The couple can be contacted about the project, Knitting for Vulnerable Children of the World, at www.aids.net.au

Net link: www.prideofaustralia.com.au

News Update - July 2007

The number of woollen garments knitted and sent abroad has now gone past 205,500 and that doesn't include the host of other support items like the beanies, the bootees, blankets and the ever-popular knitted woollen dolls!

In the latest consigments:-

• 25,000 jumpers plus 1,000 dolls and hundreds of beanies and bootees are now on their way to Uganda via International Support Aid......................
• 4,000 jumpers are headed for eastern Europe via Sydney's Christian Mission International Aid....and..
• 1,400 jumpers are bound for Sudan and Israel via Mission World Aid
  

News Update - June 20, 2007

Our latest figures are in! We have now gone past the 175,000 mark....and that doesn't include the dolls, the beanies and the bootees that are also being packed into each load.


In the latest shipment...through International Support Aid....12, 000 jumpers, along with 1,200 dolls, and hundreds of bootees and beanies...are headed for Uganda. A score of beautifully knitted blankets was also included.


Our knitters are also knitting the larger sized jumpers..with sleeves..which are especially valued.


1,500 of these (plus dolls, booteess and beanies) are on their way to Albania.


Well done...all of you!

Just arrived - from Cambodia!

"Me and my doll". A young girl hugs the specially knitted comfort doll from Australia. Children the world over are really treasuring these Australian-made delights!

News Update - Mid-June, 2007

The total number of knitted woollen jumpers we've now had shipped abroad has gone beyond 160,000.

Since our last update, we've sent:-

• A further 18,000 to Eastern Europe via Sydney and Melbourne-based agencies/
• A further 7,500 to East Timor through 2 other groups, one via Rotary International/
• And 1,000 to a new recipient nation....Cambodia....as part and parcel of "The Samaritans Purse" initiative...and this consignment also included 800 of the increasingly popular "comfort" woollen dolls/

The headquarters of Mission World Action Inc is located in the Adelaide Hills at Stirling East which has just sent us these photos of its frantic activities....receiving sorting and categorising the various goods and chossing what's to go where.


Gael Harrison (here standing in front of wool bales) is the organisation's Deputy Director. When these photos were taken, the volunteers had just packed bundles together for Israel and were sorting material to go to Madagascar! 8 forty foot containers have been shipped abroad in the past 8 months.

News Update - Late May 2007

In this final week of May, you'll all be delighted to learn that the total number of knitted woollen jumpers (to say nothing of the multitude of beautiful beanies, dolls and bootees) has now jumped to over 135,000.

Simply staggering, isn't it?

More than 1,000 of the earlier consignment of 9,000 jumpers sent to the Zomba area of southern Malawi found their way to the Zomba hospital whose staff and patients were delighted to receive them!

This hospital has what's known as a "Kangaroo" ward..where the young mothers are encouraged to use a piece of cloth in a sort of sling arrangement so that the infant may feed at will...in lieu of a humidicrib...as opposed to the babe being carried on the mother's back! The infant here is only days old and would be as snug as any "joey"!.

Ken and Lyn Begley's home at Cranbourne (Victoria) has again been awash with the now familiar multi-coloured bags, each crammed and ready for collection and shipment overseas.They're being shipped this week.

This is their lounge room!

Here, the result of a hasty scramble to catch a ship to East Timor...to supply a badly needed 1100 jumpers, plus bootees and beanies.This time size really matters..where only the tiniest will do..to suit the tiny Timorese babies who'd otherwise shiver in the cold of the nigh mountainous areas where they live.

Outside the Begley home, the family poodle, Andre, stands watch over a sprawling sea of other bags that are headed for new destinations...the war scarred areas of Sudan...and even distant Israel.In all, 15,000 jumpers plus hundreds of dolls, bootees and jumpers.

Our partner with this consignment is Mission World Aid.

Like you...our many knitters...we are looking forward to photos from the many distant areas of the world ...of the little ones clad in their new Australian jumpers, clutching their dolls and showing off their beanies and bootees. But these are not easy areas to work in and there are also cultural sensitivities also to be considered.

But we'll get them to you just as soon as we get to see them ourselves!

News Update - Mid May 2007

This is a special report.

Please read our STOP PRESS report....an urgent message from Ken and Lyn. Please click HERE for PDF version or HERE for a Word Document version

The number of knitted woollen jumpers handled and distributed to mid May has now soared to 119,000.

The latest consignment of 25,000 left Cranbourne on May 15 bound for Eastern Europe via The Netherlands from where they'll be distributed to orphanages and needy and impoverished families in several countries.

Once again, this shipment was handled by Mission Without Borders who have guaranteed delivery and distribution.

One of the features included in this shipment were 600 "Maternity Sets" put together by Lyn Begley and a friend of hers, Kath Dudink. Each Set contains 7 baby jumpers, 1 pair of bootees, one beanie and one of our famous little knitted dolls so lovingly made by our wonderful knitters.

It is vitally important that all you knitters and helpers observe the appeal in Ken and Lyn's STOP PRESS appeal if this work is to continue.

It is essential that she and Ken take an urgently needed break. On their return, they hope to have an expanded Committee in place to reduce the enormous work toll. That's why they've called for all completed jumpers to be sent to them as soon as possible so that they may commence their badly needed break and work on their new set of arrangements..

Our best wishes ...and our ongoing thanks....to you all.

News Update - May 2007

Our latest total number of made....and shipped...jumpers now stands at a whopping 93,000 (To say nothing of the beanies, booties and increasingly popular dolls!)

Groups all over Australia are involved. Here at Narre Warren in Victoria, a church pf Latter Day Saints group decided to also stage a fundraising lunch on Anzac Day to help raise money to help cover some of the shipping costs.
Much appreciated!

News Update - Mid-April 2007

Flash!!!


We'e just conssigned a further 20,000 jumpers + 400 dolls * 60 beanies to children in urgent need in Eastern Europe.


That means that to date, we've now sent more than 90,000 jumpers out of Australia to all points of the world compass!


We had been thinking that maybe we'd hit 100,000 by year's end...........................!


The latest recipients...Mission Without Borders ....which operates in 7 major countries in eastern Europe.

News Update - April 2007

The pace is picking up!

AS at April 12, we'll have distributed a total of about 70,000 of these jumpers. What a great tribute that is to all of you knitters throughout Australia..and you abroad too..and especially the seemingly tireless organisers of this wonderful initiative, Ken and Lyn Begley, who've barely drawn breath over Easter!

Fortunately, their grand-daughter, Laura, was able to help load a big assignment of 10,000 jumpers headed forAustralia's impoverished near neighbour, East Timor..in particular its cold and remote mountainous areas, where they'll be a godsend.

In a practical example of children helping children...and those with more helping those with less... Laura was also able to pack in 100 dolls, some warm woollen blankets and several hundred beanies and booties

The Canberra Times newspaper has broken the story to its readers in the national capital..and we've gathered more and more knitters as a result.

* A further 1,000 jumpers have been trucked to Brisbane and then to Zimbabwe.....

* Another 500 gave gone out of Sydney headed for Eastern Europe.

And we've just received some very moving pictures out of Ethiopia from those who've also been sent jumpers.It says it all...what this effort is all about.

But even in the midst of pain and suffering, children look to make their fun. So meet Hanna.....she decided the best way to catch your eye...and your hearts...was to stack a pile on top of her head! Very fetching, I'd say. And she's intent on getting the message out: AIDS must be stopped!

Her great smile hides the fact that her Mum and sister, both HIV infected, are now hospitalised. Hanna's sister, Hiwot, is desperately underweight for a two and a half year old..She's being held in her mother's arms.She's already lost her Dad to AIDS.

The comfort dolls are also being very warmly received...with increasing numbers finding their way to many countries. 100 of them are off to Malawi in a fortnight's time. Hundreds of the beautifully coloured beanies...a work of art in themselves....and matching booties..are also great winners...eagerly sought after. So keep it up, you wonderful knitters.

News Update: March/April, 2007

We've now handled and arranged the shipping and distribution of almost 59,000 of these beautiful woollen jumpers up to the end of the 3rd week in March. Ken and Lyn have been virtually turning cartwheels keeping the jumpers literally on the move!

The latest news is that:-

Dedicated knitters have even airmailed us their jumpers from London, England!! What a great gesture...thank you!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE REGARDING PATTERNS.

News Update: March, 2007

Within the next week, our jumpers will be making their first appearance in ETHIOPIA !

Interest is also being signalled from Peru, in South America, and Vietnam in Asia.

The most wonderful news at this time is that we have found homes for 20,000 jumpers in Eastern Europe....for desperately needy infants in Romania, Armenia, Russia and Moldova....they'll be going to hospitals, orphanages and desperately poor families. Our outreach is fast becoming global! This consignment will leave our Cranbourne storage within the first week of this month. That means we've found homes for over 52,000 of your jumpers since mid-December. That's stupendous. Well done, all of you...thousands of children will be kept warmer by your kindness and your concerns.Thank you very much.

News Update: Mid-february, 2007

Just in from Africa!

No sooner were they unpacked in Blantyre, Malawi, than it was first in....best dressed!!

These pictures were shot in the Open Arms orphanage which has also flashed up its warm appreciation for this big shipment of thousands.

Don't they look just fantastic. These Australian knitted jumpers will be keeping thousands of such babes and infants warm in the coming winter nights. Take a bow all you Australian knitters in so many parts of Australia...and the prison inmate at Broken Hill who knitted 59 jumpers too. A great job, well done. And, yes, others in their thousands will also be warming little ones in other parts of Africa shortly. Stay tuned!

News Update: February, 2007

Our two shipments to Malawi, totalling some 16,000 jumpers have now arrived there safely and the distribution is the next step in the process.That's around 22,000 now that have gone to African countries.

As we've mentioned before, we are working on the basis of ensuring that your wonderful contribution go into needy hands and, to this end, we are working constantly to widen our networks throughout Africa.

We are now in the really exciting throes of arranging to send a shipment of up to 20,000 knitted jumpers to Zambia, with luck around the end of March,hopefully opening the door to an ongoing stream of garments there.

We are also going to be shipping our "comfort dolls" too, letting them accompany our various shipments.

This is our opportunity now to introduce you to some of them.

This is a photograph of some of Lyn Begley's productions. Pretty wonderful, eh?

Keep up the good work..and our grateful thanks to you all again.

News Update: January 2007

The latest news is that the first consignment of 7,000 jumpers is about to be delivered to a well-respected orphanage in Blantyre, Malawi's main commercial city. We've been in touch with them over the past few months and also arranged for a number of the jumpers to be given to the big Queen Elizabeth hospital in Blantyre which is thrilled to be one of the recipients!

The second consignment of 9,000 jumpers will be in Malawi within 2 to 3 weeks..and they're headed to the big township of Zomba. There, 6000 will be given to World Vision Malawi...1,000 to Emmanuel International (another international care charity) and the balance shared out between at least 3 other organisations.

In addition to the 16,000 jumpers sent to Malawi, a further 5,000 went to Zambia, and 1,000 to South Africa with the help of 2 nurses.

At this stage, a further 10,000 were awaiting shipment.

Our main concern is to make sure that each jumper gets to a good home...meaning the infants who need them so desperately. We don't want to just dump thousands of them willy-nilly anywhere. So much love and effort has gone into each of these beautiful garments ....jumpers, booties and even beanies...that we are determined to ensure they get to where they're needed.

Ken and Lyn have been run ragged...it's been a constant around-the-clock effort for them...their phone rarely stops ringing..and their dog's bark has been reduced to a croak each time the postman appears...which is constantly!

Not only do the gifts of the jumpers have to be acknowledged...there are newsletters to get out to all of the donors and their groups...thank you letters and receipts for donations....umpteen phone calls to be returned. So do bear with them. We desperately need donations...even gold coins...to help meet the shipping costs.

Ken and Lyn are also working on producing some very special woollen dolls to be packed in with the jumpers...comfort dolls that are greatly prized by children who've never known such a gift that's their very own!

More of that later.

Thank you very much, all of you...it is a great work

Brian Haill
President,
The Australian AIDS Fund Inc.,
Frankston, Victoria.
Email: bhaill@bigpond.net.au

News Update: December 2006

The target...announced in our earlier Update..was to get a further 9,000 jumpers knitted in November. That's not only been met....but surpassed!

That 9,000 has been knitted, delivered to Ken and Lyn's, and will be shipped out of Melbourne before the middle of December....and also sent to Malawi where they will be distributed through several charities and hospitals. Another 4,000 jumpers have also been knitted in the meantime and will be stored in readiness for the next shipment expected to be made in February next year. Twenty thousand infant jumpers...what a magnificent effort!!

Thanks to each and every one of you knitters..and Ken and Lyn, the team's organisers.What a stunning response!

The consignment was made up of contributions from all over the place!

A magnificent collection was put on show by the staff, students and friends of Our Lady of the Pines primary school at Donvale (in Victoria) at a special handover presentation in November to Ken and Lyn Begley and The Australian AIDS Fund Inc.

It had been initially hoped that consignments could also have been sent into South Africa, but its government won't allow them to go in duty free. That could have meant very heavy charges on top of the shipping costs which would have been beyond us.

Which isn't to say none will go there.



Here on the right, meet Cammy Naidoo a registered nurse, herself a South African living in Australia.She's off to Pietermaritzburg to spend six weeks there working with AIDS orphans. She's taking 200 jumpers with her.

Pastor Susan Owino, photographed here with Cammy, is headed to Uganda next year with friends and they too will take 200 of your jumpers with them. You're helping to keep a continent warm!

News Update: November 2006

From all parts of Australia, the knitting needles have been furiously clicking.....in private homes, in church groups, in nursing homes and in aged care homes as young and old alike ...including a centenarian...pounced on this project, determined to help.

Now some 7,000 of these garments are already on the high seas headed for Singapore and then to the South African port of Durban from where they'll be trucked by road to Malawi's commercial centre of Blantyre for distribution.They'll be there just before Christmas.

The consignment was barely out of Ken and Lyn's Cranbourne home when the flood of donations resumed.

The aim now is to gather another 9,000 to be shipped at the end of this month.At the time that this News Update was posted there were already more than 5,000 in and wrapped!!! That's great, everyone.