It was originally set up to keep people connected during the coronavirus lockdowns in 2020, but volunteers have come together once again to knit blankets for those less fortunate this Christmas.

Last year, 44 blankets were knitted. This year, more than 60 blankets have been made and donated to causes across Caerphilly County Borough.

The scheme is run by the Caerphilly Miners’ Centre for the Community – the community hub which opened in 2015 on the site of the former Caerphilly Miners’ Hospital.

Each blanket is made from 25 crocheted squares – which take around 25 hours each to knit. It then takes a further six or seven hours to knit the squares together to make a blanket.

Between them, volunteers spent between 18,000 and 19,000 hours knitting – which is around two years in total – over the course of the last year.

A number of crocheted squares were sent in by volunteers from across South Wales and even Somerset.

Caroline Kitson, a volunteer knitter at the Miners’ Centre, said: “I’ve been knitting blanket rectangles since the pandemic started in March 2020.

“I felt quite emotional delivering the blankets to the centre, not only because the knitting was going to such worthy causes, but for its representation of the lockdowns and the limitations on our lives in that time.”

The blankets have been donated to homelessness and domestic abuse charity Llamau, as well as the Lansbury Park-based and volunteer-led community group Bridging Together.

Claire Bourne, a referral worker at Llamau, said the blankets will go to women and children in Llamau refuges who have escaped domestic violence.

Ms Bourne said: “Some of them have literally nothing. With Christmas coming up it will make a big difference.

“It’s something that just makes them realise that they are thought of when they’re going through all of this.

“It’s unimaginable to think of the fear and what they’re going through. For a little child who has been ripped out their home, they could have had a comfort blanket in that house which they no longer have, so that blanket can then become that comfort blanket.”

Joanna Yates, of Bridging Together, said the donated blankets will be used as part of care packages they are creating for vulnerable people this Christmas, alongside things like teabags, coffee, hot chocolate, magazines and more.

Donations were also made to the a refugee family rehoused in the borough after fleeing the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.

Caerphilly County Borough Council policy officer Sonia Foley, who was worked with the family, said: “It means a lot to the family. They’re very, very grateful to the community for all the support and the welcome they’ve received.”

Ms Foley said the family had received “lots of offers” of support from residents and added: “The blankets are just another way of saying you are part of this community, and people are very happy to see you here and want you to feel welcome.”

Hefin David MS said: “The effort and dedication put in to each of the blankets is just amazing, they’re like a symbol of everything the Miners’ Centre stands for.

“It’s a pleasure to be involved and to hear more about the groups the blankets will be going to.”