A Hug You Can Keep: Project Linus West Dorset Wraps Children in Love
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
How a dedicated team of 170 volunteers is bringing warmth and healing to vulnerable babies and children across our region — one handmade quilt at a time.
In a quiet corner of Poundbury, something quietly extraordinary is happening. Every third Wednesday of the month, a group of volunteers gathers in the Quiet Space for coffee, conversation, and a shared mission that touches thousands of lives across West Dorset. They are the makers behind Project Linus West Dorset, and their work — more than 2,000 handmade quilts and blankets donated each year — is proof that even simple gestures can have profound impacts.
"A quilt is a hug you can keep," explains Liz See, the project's area coordinator. "For a child going through trauma, illness, or loss, that physical comfort can make such a difference. We're not just making blankets — we're creating something they can hold onto when they need it most."
Project Linus began in the USA in 1995, inspired by a child battling cancer whose comfort blanket helped her through chemotherapy. Today, the charity operates nationwide, providing quilts to seriously ill, abused, bereaved, or traumatised children from premature birth to 19 years old. The West Dorset branch alone serves multiple charities, including MOSAIC (providing specialist bereavement support for children, young people and families ), the Lexi May Trust (helping children with terminal illness and life-limiting conditions), STARS (supporting victims of sexual violence or abuse), local hospitals, and more.
Each quilt begins with colourful fabric with child-themed patterns — primarily donated scraps, remnants, and offcuts that might otherwise go to waste, supplemented with some purchases. Liz and her co-coordinator Lesley Platt and team members transform these into kits, complete with purchased wadding and thread, which volunteers then turn into vibrant, warm quilts. Before a single blanket goes out, it's logged, labelled with the distinctive Project Linus tag, allocated to a charity, and prepared for delivery. It's a labour of love that requires both heart and meticulous organisation.
Credit: Project Linus UK
"I moved to Poundbury from Suffolk seven years ago and joined Project Linus almost immediately," says Liz. "It's allowed me to get to know Dorset wonderfully well and meet some truly special people. And knowing where these quilts go — knowing they're bringing comfort to children at their most vulnerable — is incredibly rewarding."
For one volunteer, Steve Lockie, a retired textiles teacher with decades of sewing experience, the appeal was twofold: "I joined to keep doing what I love — sewing has been part of my life forever," she says. "But honestly, it's the companionship that keeps me coming back. These coffee mornings are as much about connection as they are about quilting."
But you don't need decades of experience to contribute. Three times a year, the project hosts "Sew Days" where absolute beginners work alongside expert quilters. "Even someone who's never threaded a needle can start making a quilt after just one session," says Liz. "We provide kits with everything needed for a simple quilt and there's always someone like Steve on hand to help."
The 170 volunteers range from those who contribute one quilt a year to prolific makers producing many more. All contributions are welcome. While the project receives funding from the Dorchester Market Car Boot Fund to cover the cost of hall hire for coffee mornings and sew days additional donations — whether cash to purchase materials or fabric scraps to transform into kits — are always needed.
To donate to, join, or find out more about the Project Linus West Dorset community, please contact projectlinuswestdorset@btinternet.com
Sometimes, a hug you can keep is exactly what a child needs.
For other volunteer opportunities, please visit our Volunteering section of the Virtual Community Hub.
For more community groups and societies in Poundbury, please click here.