Retired teacher Joyce Ballinger put her spare time to good use during lockdown by making over 50 stylish gingham facemasks, which helped raise over £100 through generous donations from Owners and visitors to Spitfire Lodge in Portswood where she lives.
Half the funds went towards thank you parcels for the essential workers and volunteers who supported Spitfire Lodge Owners throughout the lockdown, including the postie, carers and support workers, and local pharmacies who delivered vital prescriptions. The remainder was donated to Southampton City Mission to help support local people in need.
“My friend sent me a pattern to make the masks and it just seemed like a very practical idea,” says Joyce, who moved into her brand new apartment to be closer to her daughter and young family. “My daughter had some spare gingham material, so I used that to make the masks and ended up with quite a few of them, I lost count of how many but it was certainly more than 50!”
Karen our Lodge Manager suggested putting them on her desk for people to take in return for a donation. I was quite surprised they raised so much money, but it was a wonderful idea and I was very pleased to be able to give something back. The gifts were to show our appreciation to all the kind people who have been helping out throughout the lockdown, and the donation to Southampton City Mission will do a little bit to help the excellent work they do.
Joyce is looking forward to things getting back to normal so she can continue getting to know her new neighbours and making new friends. Until then she can be proud that her crafting talent has brought benefits for everyone.