Freddie's Fibre Friends

Aim

We are fundraising here to set up Freddie’s Fibre Friends as a charity which will offer children unique fibre craft experiences.

Where are we based and what are we offering?

Our fibre experiences will be offered on our tranquil small holding in Cornwall in a purpose built shepherd’s hut situated next to our alpacas and sheep. 

This is extra special as we will be using their fleece in our crafting and will encourage the children to interact with these gentle creatures which in itself is a really lovely experience. 

These sensory and calming activities will give children a break from their busy lives, be that a child with SEN, a child dealing with bereavement or a child generally struggling. Fibre craft can give them a chance to relax and refocus as well as reducing stress and regaining confidence which can then be carried forward into the classroom. This is particularly important at the moment in our chaotic world and the pandemic, as we all know, has had a detrimental effect on learning and children’s mental health.

For children unable to visit, we’ll send out craft packs for a donation along with written instructions and a link to our YouTube tutorials. This ensures no child is excluded and we are able to reach children who could really benefit emotionally from a little fibre craft break.

Who am I and why is fibre craft so good for children?

My name is Julia Squires and I am a level 3 qualified Teaching Assistant, previously specialising in children with special educational needs. Having been a fibre crafter for many years, I was always keen to bring my knowledge into the classroom and was always truly touched by how engaged the children were. The excitement of felting fleece with warm soapy water and all the sensations that go with this was lovely to watch. Children who struggled to focus were utterly absorbed in this, given the sensory aspect as well as the independence they had to choose which fibres and tools to work with, eventually creating a piece of work totally unique to them.

The treadling of my various spinning wheels with their calming, rhythmic action is mesmerizing too. Children were able to spin their own yarn and practice making the wheels go faster or slower (often the trickier action!) and the cause and effect met with delight. Fine motor skills are exercised when weaving, which again offers the chance of independence and expression – a great confidence booster.

Looking forward

The craft packs available for a donation to those unable to visit are a great start, but looking forward we would like to deliver fibre experiences to schools and also build a wheelchair accessible fibre hut for children who may have mobility needs here on the smallholding.

All of this will be possible if we can become a registered charity. This fundraiser is to pay for our legal costs and any excess monies raised will help us purchase fibre (to top up our own stash from the sheep and alpacas) and put together the postal packs ready to send out to schools and individuals.

This project successfully funded on 28th March 2021