Shaun the Sheep © 2006 Aardman Animations Ltd

Hints And Tips For Holding Your Very Own PicKnit!

There is chaos in the countryside as Shaun the Sheep, hits the small screen with his very own series for CBBC and takes centre stage as a major part of The Great British PicKnit, a giant UK wide community knitting project to create a life-size Picnic scene.

This fabulous project will raise money for the Wallace and Gromit Children’s Foundation, a charity which raises money to improve the quality of life for children in hospitals and hospices throughout the UK. 
Click on image and print off small poster
Click on image and print off large poster

STEPS TO SUCCESS
The following steps will help ensure a fun day for everyone involved

Location

Why not hold your knitting event in a local park or even on the beach.  When planning your event, ensure there will be enough space for all your visitors. If outdoors, ask them to bring a rug and make plans for any bad weather – bring an umbrella!

Make a date

No group is too small, but if you prefer, see if you can join up with another knitting group on the same day and share resources. Look on the Groups page of this website for details of other groups in your area. Remember to check that no other local event coincides with yours, if it does why not incorporate it?

Once the name, location and date have been finalised, get in touch so we can promote your event on the UK Hand Knitting Association (UKHKA) website.

Who will attend?

Make sure you have enough people to help you get organised for the big day. Maybe ask for help from volunteers. Be clear who will be welcome at your event, for example if children are invited, ensure there are facilities to accommodate them to help increase their creativity.

Attractions on the day that will help to raise money

You could choose to ask people to pay to come along to the event as a donation, or alternatively sell tea and coffee. Try to create some form of added-value to attract people to your PicKnit such as a demonstration, knitting showcase, or even an auction of knitted gifts. The UK Hand Knitting Association (UKHKA) have set up links with the Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Foundation.  You could run competitions throughout the day, offering small prizes to winners and maybe a raffle that people could contribute items for.

Click here to request a Wallace and Gromit Foundation fundraising pack and collection pot for donations on the day

A warm welcome

Make your special event a day to remember and an opportunity to create new friends. A fun, inviting and welcoming venue will help attract plenty of people.

SPREAD THE WORD!

Some easy publicity can increase the success of your PicKnit.

Posters

Display your poster with full venue and time details in schools & colleges, libraries, churches, community centres, even in your car, to promote the event amongst the local community. Posters displayed near the event on the day will let people know that they have arrived at the right place.

Local Media

Your ‘Whats-On’ section in your local newspaper can be a good place to start. Ask them if they will cover the event with a story or feature article, even invite them down on the day. Local magazines or school and church newsletters are also good ways of creating local awareness. It is also worth contacting your local radio station.  Why not use our PicKnit press release as a basis for your own publicity?

Use the Shaun the Sheep and UK Hand Knitting logos (available from the UK Hand Knitting Association) and your contact details wherever necessary when talking to local media or when spreading the word. Direct them to the information about Shaun the Sheep’s PicKnit project on the UKHKA website www.ukhandknitting.com

Contact local businesses

Local knitting and craft retailers along with other businesses may be interested in supporting or sponsoring your PicKnit.

Contact details

During the event, try and collect the contact details of your visitors if possible, as this allows you to keep them informed of any future events, and helps increase the size of your knitting group.

Tell everyone you know

Remember, word of mouth is a powerful tool!

Post-promotion

Take plenty of photos of the event, and write a short story on how the day went with any amusing anecdotes that help emphasise the fun and other positive elements.  Send them to the local media and to us at the UK Hand Knitting Association (UKHKA) Press Office to help promote awareness for future PicKnits.

For further information, please get in touch with the UK Hand Knitting Association (UKHKA) press office:

The Great British PicKnit, UK Hand Knitting Association, 57 Kiln Ride, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 3PJ

Click here to email the UKHKA Press Office or telephone: 0118 973 6796

Click here to view pictures of The Great British PicKnit