Karen Williams, OBE, 60 is the Founder of The Buddy Bag Foundation.
Flicking through an in-flight magazine on my way to Australia to visit my son, I stumbled across an article about a charity that arranged rucksacks full of essentials for children in emergency care.
After my holiday, I did some research and realised there was no similar service for children in the UK. More often than not, children leave everything they own behind when they flee a domestically violent situation. They arrive with nothing but the clothes they’re wearing. Wanting to make a difference, I launched The Buddy Bag Foundation five years ago, providing bags of love for children who require emergency care.
Our rucksack contains toiletries, PJs and underwear plus comfort items, such as a book and a teddy.
Every year, nearly 50,000 UK children require emergency care and so far we have delivered 31,000 Buddy Bags.
Domestic violence has increased during the pandemic, which means our bags are even more vital.
Right now, we need volunteers to knit teddies and sew toiletry bags and pencil cases. The patterns and guides are on our website and Facebook page. These gifts can make a child feel comforted, loved and safe.
I know there are talented crafters out there who are so kind and generous who might be looking for new ways to find a purpose. Now, knitters as old as 90 and sewers as young as 6 have helped me do just that, by creating over 5,000 toys and counting.
One Buddy Bag recipient wrote to tell me: “Thank you. You make us feel like we matter.” That’s all I want to do, but I couldn’t do it without all the wonderful people who take the time to help.
Original article published in Best Magazine 23rd March 2021.
