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A Jersey charity has expressed its thanks after “a celebration of friendship” led to them receiving much-needed blankets from 400 miles away.
After hearing of the work that her lifelong friend Cathy Sara was doing with the charity Kairos Arts in Jersey, Catherine Terry from Yorkshire was determined to help out in any way she could.
Cathy Sara is the Creative Director of charity Kairos Arts, which creates and facilitates therapeutic arts workshops “by providing a safe place where participants are able to express and explore their feelings, hopes, joys and fears through the creative arts”.
The aim is to “encourage participants to explore positive emotional qualities, develop their understanding of themselves and others, and find creative solutions to obstacles.”
The charity currently works locally in Jersey, and internationally in Bolivia and India with women and children recovering from trauma, domestic violence, trafficking and abuse, those living with chronic illness or terminal illness, and children and young people with mental health or wellbeing needs.
Each of the artistic workshops are bespoke, however one key element that is often included is the use of a blanket which each participant gets to take home with them after.
Long before she was the Creative Director of Kairos Arts, Cathy was an actress working on her first professional job at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London’s West End in 1993.
It was here that she met fellow actress, Catherine Terry, who was playing the lead role in the production.
Although Catherine described herself as being an “old seasoned pro” by then, the pair struck up a “strange, wonderful and lovely friendship” despite the ten-year age gap.
Although years have passed since their time working in the West End together, Catherine and Cathy have kept in contact and are bonded together by their “strong Christian faith” with Cathy even singing at Catherine’s wedding 1996.
Pictured: Cathy Sara (left) and Catherine Terry (right) backstage before a performance at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 1993.
Last year, when it was coming up to Catherine’s 25th wedding anniversary, she fell and broke her wrist resulting in her wedding ring having to be cut off.
Once she’d recovered, Catherine decided to celebrate her new wedding ring and 25th wedding anniversary with a religious blessing. She invited Cathy and her husband Reverend Tony Morling of St Helier Methodist Church over from Jersey, with Reverend Morling kindly agreeing to administer the blessing of the new wedding ring.
Cathy and Tony flew over to Yorkshire, where Catherine lives, and it was there that the old friends got chatting about Cathy’s charity Kairos Arts.
Catherine was immediately impressed by the project. She explained: “I understand how much the creative arts can help to free people from trauma when words aren’t enough.”
She particularly loved the way in which blankets are used “to represent security” during the artistic workshops.
Catherine said: “It’s amazing to hear about how each unique blanket is used in a completely different way by each individual person. It’s so special.”
Having always been skilled with her hands, Catherine decided that helping to crochet blankets for Kairos Arts’ workshops was a way in which she could help contribute to the charity’s “amazing work” from the other side of the UK.
She said: “I have to give credit to my grandma for teaching me to crochet. She was an amazing woman who, at the age of 104, would tell us that she was crocheting blankets for the OLD ladies!”
In order to start creating the blankets, Catherine took inspiration from Kairos Arts’ central themes of kindness and giving. She put out a call for wool in her local village in Yorkshire and was “inundated with donations”.
Pictured: Kairos Arts also run local 'Stitch and Natter' groups to allow people to meet to chat and create blankets together.
Catherine began crocheting blankets in her spare time. She said: “I would crochet whenever I could, often whilst watching the television or chatting to friends on the phone. It never felt like a chore!
“Whenever I’m crocheting a blanket, I know I’ll never meet the specific individual who will receive it, but I always try to make every stitch and row with love for them.”
She added: “I love the idea that, somewhere in the world, someone will receive this blanket that has been made with love for them. For some people, it might be the only thing that person has ever received that has been made specifically for them with love.”
Catherine and Cathy recently reunited in London for afternoon tea, meeting up outside the doors of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre where their friendship began 30 years ago.
Pictured: The Taming of the Shrew cast who performed at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 1993. Catherine Terry is in the centre of the middle row dressed in blue and yellow with the pointed hat, and Cathy Sara is in the front row fourth from left dressed in black & white with mop cap.
At this meeting, Catherine gave Cathy first crocheted blanket at this meeting for her to take back to Jersey where it will used and gifted at the next Kairos Arts workshop.
Catherine said that creating the blanket was a “pleasure”, explaining that it was “made with love, shared with love & gifted with love!”
She added: “There will be more! This winter I will be sitting and crocheting as many blankets as I can with love for this amazing charity.”
Pictured: Anyone local who wants to create a blanket for Kairos Arts can come along to a 'Stitch and Natter' group, or contact naomi@kairosarts.org to donate a blanket you have made at home.
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