Would you like to take part in a sewing or knitting project for charity? Are you looking to find handmade knitted and stitched products from social enterprises supporting creative skills? Take a look at all these charities, projects and volunteer opportunities we’ve found that are looking for your support.
Sewing for a charity project is a great way to get involved in your local community and meet other crafters, will doing something good for others. If you belong to a local sewing group already, working on a project for a charity is a great activity to do altogether. If you are looking for a local sewing group to join, check out our list of sewing groups here, alternatively here are lots of tips on how to set up your own sewing group. The projects and activities that charities are looking for help with vary from big one off projects to ongoing items needed on a regular basis.
Charities will often provide free sewing or knitting patterns for you to use and sometimes the supplies or you can look at ways to fundraise for these. We have a range of free sewing patterns on our online sewing patterns shop, which might be useful if you are looking for projects. Some are available to download directly from use, whereas others are linked directly to the designer’s website where you can find more details.
Sewing Projects for Charity
Here are a list of charities with sewing projects looking for volunteers.
Oxfam – Oxfam can sell bunting you’ve made from fabric scraps in there Oxfam Festival Shop. Take a look at their Q&A sheet here.
Little dresses for Africa – make simple dresses from pillow cases or other patterns to go to girls in Africa.
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home – If you’re feeling creative there are lots of things that you can make for their animals.
The Donkey Sanctuary – sew felt donkeys to raise funds for donkey care all over the world. Download the free pattern here.
Loving Hands – bringing charities in need of volunteers for craft projects, together. Volunteer for knitting, crochet and sewing projects all around the world for people and animals.
Make Time for Tea – Raise funds for The Eve Appeal charity by hosting your own tea party. For the first 500 people who register for an information pack, you will receive a free Vogue vintage apron pattern.
Days for Girls – they need sewists to make reusable hygiene kits for women in developing countries. They’re based in the US but there are 8 teams in the UK that collect donations.
Jen’s Friends helps with providing mastectomy pillows free of charge. Sewing bees can help by sewing heart shaped pillows using a pattern provided, and send them to Jen’s Friends for filling and distribution.
Animal Rescue Craft Guild – creating for animal rescues, join their Facebook group.
The Pachamama Project – looking for volunteers to help with their initiative to make reusable sanitary pads for women in need around the world. Watch this video on how to make the pads: https://youtu.be/Qk8wPlMeL7k
Knitting and crochet projects for charity
Knit for Peace – Knit for Peace distribute your knitted goods to people in need in the UK and the rest of the world. For a list of the most needed knitted items and free patterns to get you started, take a look here.
Oxfam – Oxfam can sell your knitted items in charity shops around the country. Find out more and download free patterns to get you started here.
Queen Mother’s Clothing Guild – join a local group to knit clothes for distribution to the homeless, elderly, babies and children in need.
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home – If you’re feeling creative there are lots of things that you can make for their animals.
The Donkey Sanctuary – knit and crochet toy donkeys to raise funds for donkey care all over the world. Download the free patterns here.
Bonnie Babies – sends your knitted clothes and blankets to premature babies in the UK.
The Big Knit (with Innocent Drinks for Age UK) – knit mini woolly hats to raise money for Age UK. Download the pattern and watch a how-to video here.
Loving Hands – brings charities in need of volunteers for craft projects, together. Volunteer for knitting, crochet and sewing projects all around the world for people and animals.
Are you being bullied – knit a Percy the pigeon character to be sent into schools to encourage children being bullied to seek help.
Royal Navy and Royal Marines children’s fund – knit a family of characters to be sent to children when their parent returns from service. Find patterns here.
Octopus for a preemie – crochet an octopus for a premature baby for their first few days of life.
Social enterprises promoting craft skills
TRAID is a charity that works to reduce clothes waste through education, campaigning and upcycling your unwanted clothes to sell in charity shops throughout London. They support textile projects all over the world and have volunteering opportunities at their head office and charity shops.
Do-it.org is a database with hundreds of volunteering opportunities – search for craft to find a charity needing help in your area.
Community Clothing is a social enterprise and manufacturing co-operative with a mission to make affordable clothing, create jobs and restore pride in British manufacturing and textile production. Find out more here.
Fine Cell Work is a charity that teaches prisoners how to stitch and sew in prisons around the UK. Take a look at the highly skilled cushions, bags, cot quilts and accessories they produce here.
TRAID is a charity working to reduce clothes waste through education, campaigning and upcycling your unwanted clothes to sell in charity shops throughout London. They support textile projects all over the world.