Avid Baby Beat supporter Tara Dodd has raised over £100 for the charity by making handmade bears to sell in the Baby Beat shop at Royal Preston Hospital.
A former manager at a nursery, Tara wanted to be kept busy when it closed during the pandemic, and turned her hand to crafting and has even now set up her own shop in Bilsborrow.
Tara said:
“When I was around 10 years old, my mum taught me the basics of crocheting a simple granny square, and over the years I've picked up a hook making simple blankets for my family for babies. Last year I started trying different patterns and techniques making blankets for family and friends and was encouraged to try amigurumi (bear and doll making crochet). During the pandemic I've done a complete 180 on my career and have turned a hobby into a full time job and I absolutely love it. I've taught myself lots of new skills and techniques mastering weaving among other skills, which had the pandemic never happened I'd never have known i could do!
“I'm an avid supporter of the Baby Beat charity, it's such a wonderful charity and am proud to support them with my crafts. It is very rewarding seeing things that I've made displayed in such a wonderful way at the shop in the hospital and I will definitely be helping more with other types of fundraising events in the future. It's such a wonderful charity to help families. To be able to help using talents I never knew I had makes it all the more rewarding!”
We are so grateful to Tara for her amazing support and we wish her all the very best in her exciting new career!
To see more of Tara’s work, check out her Facebook page ‘Off The Hook Crafts by Tara’.
