Knitting ‘trauma teddies’ in Arva
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Members of the Arva Craft & Chat group with their knitted trauma teddies.Image 2 of 4
From left: Margaret Brady (SVdP), Mary East (Arvagh Craft & Chat group), Alice Murtagh and Margaret Maguire (SVdP).Image 3 of 4
Mary East and Margaret Maguire handing over a donation to Marie Sheridan of Cavan Cuan Services.Image 4 of 4
A selection of the knitted trauma teddies.Members of the Arva Craft & Chat group have been busy knitting teddies in recent months with a special purpose in mind. The ‘trauma teddies’ are intended to comfort vulnerable children in crisis situations.
Trauma teddies are soft toys carried in garda or police cars and handed out by offers when children are involved in a frightening situation. This is to distract or comfort them. The initiative was the brainchild of Nathalie Eakins, one of the group’s members.
“I heard about this when meeting a PSNI officer last summer,” she explained. Nathalie then group the idea to group and also got the backing of Cavan gardaí.
The initiative culminated in a special celebration at Arva Library recently when the bears were presented to Garda Christine Gallagher from the Cavan Community Engagement Unit. The event also marked the reopening of Arva Library after a four-month refurbishment projects.
“Our group also handed out some money to local charities: SVP and Cavan Cuan Services,” explained Nathalie. “The library is a great community space not just for books. Arva Library may be a part-time library but it’s a great hive of lots of other activities. We are very lucky to have this wonderful space,” she added.
Arva Craft & Chat group is just one example of the many local community groups who use the facility. The group of crafters, who are always delighted to receive new members, meet in Arva library twice a month on the first Tuesday and third Thursday of the month.
“We knit, crochet, sew, embroider and do all kinds of crafts,” explains Nathalie. “We help one another, chat and have great fun in the process. We choose different charities to make items of use. We started knitting six years ago to help Beaumont Hospital raise funds when they wanted to set up a breast clinic and have continued with local needs especially for Cavan General Hospital. We made hats and cardigans for premature babies, syringe driver bags for palliative care services, items for the Rainbow babies, little hearts for CGH during Covid,” outlines Nathalie of some of their endeavours.
The Arva branch library is open Tuesdays, 12 noon to 2pm and 3-6:30pm; Thursdays, 2-5pm; Saturdays, 10am-2pm and 2-5pm. Contact Arva Library on 049 4335905 during library opening hours. Upcoming events include a Leaving Certificate Oral Irish workshop and a children’s art & craft workshop. See Arva news for more detail.