Malcolm Bruce MP handed messages to 10 Downing Street to mark the end of Save the Children's 'Knit One, Save One' campaign. Over 40,000 personal messages were delivered to the Prime Minister from knitters across the country including thousands from knitting groups across Aberdeenshire.
Save the Children's 'Knit One, Save One' campaign asked the public to help save children's lives by knitting baby hats. Woolly hats protect vulnerable newborn babies from catching pneumonia, one of the world's biggest killer diseases. Knitters also attached personal messages to the Prime Minister to their hats telling him to act now to save children's lives.
Adrian Lovett, Director of Campaigns and Communications at Save the Children said "We have been overwhelmed by the response. We've received over 650,000 hats which we have now sent to more than fifteen countries where large numbers of children are dying, including Tibet, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. Mr Bruce and the people of Gordon have helped to save children's lives - and sent a powerful message to the Prime Minister to redouble his efforts."
Mr Bruce said:
"This campaign has truly caught people's imaginations and we had an overwhelming response from people across Aberdeenshire: a big thank you to everyone in Gordon who knitted hats and wrote messages to the Prime Minister. Your actions have really made a difference to children's lives."
Gordon knitters have got their needles out in force and contributed thousands of hats and messages to the nationwide campaign. As well as attending today's hand in of messages to Number 10, Malcolm Bruce MP also…
…inspired people all over Gordon to get involved in the campaign. Knitting experts and novices alike gave up their time to make hats for babies at risk.
…met with knitters in Gordon to encourage and thank them.
… signed a parliamentary motion calling on the Government to ensure that all children and their mothers get access to basic healthcare, adequate nutrition, clean water and safe sanitation.
Save the Children are calling on the government to scale up their work on malnutrition which still kills 3.5 million under the age of 5 each year. The charity is also asking the government to maintain its support to the world's poorest children during the current financial crisis.
'Knit One, Save One' was part of Save the Children's biggest ever global campaign which aims to get 10 million people to take action by 2010 for the 10 million children that die each year before their fifth birthday.
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