International 'Olympi'hens' support local charity

Stuart Race was able to give £700 to Hannah Tuckwell - founder of The Nest charity in Suffolk

Eighty knitted hens created by crafters across the world have helped support a mental health charity for young people.

Stuart Race, 47, who owns The Woolpatch yarn shop in Long Melford, Suffolk, was gifted the hens for his front window as part of an Olympic-themed display in July.

Nicknamed the Olympi'hens, the hens represented nations in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games and were sent from a variety of countries.

Mr Race sold the hens to raise £700 for The Nest charity based in Framlingham, which he said was "blown away" by.

"Some of these Olympi'hens have come from all over the world - we had one come from Melbourne and numerous from America and different states," Mr Race said.

"We were overwhelmed and it made a phenomenal display."

Mr Race kept his display in place until after the Paralympics.

However through the games Mr Race said he was inundated with people wanting to buy the hens.

The knitted hens represented nations competing the Olympic and Paralympic games

He already knew he wanted to use them to help raise money for charity, so he decided to sell them raising £700 which he said was "unbelievable for knitted and crocheted hens".

However, choosing a charity to give the money to was the "hard part", he said.

"There are thousands of them out there and all doing amazing things," he explained.

"I knew from my personal belief that it had to be local.

"As lovely as these national charities are, I didn't really want it to go to a big charity where this little amount of money would maybe be swallowed up."

Mr Race has owned his shop in Long Melford since 2016

All the hens were knitted from a pattern called The Emotional Support Chicken and a quick Google search of "chicken emotional health charity" led Mr Race to The Nest.

"Within seconds I just knew this is our charity," he continued.

"It's wonderful because it's a new charity as well, it only started last year."

Mr Race loved the ethos of the charity where children struggling with their mental health can visit its farm away the pressures of every day life.

Mr Race visited The Nest recently to pass on the money and he said it was "heartwarming" to know where the money was going.

"We didn't set out to raise money for a charity and that is what makes me so happy about this project," he said.

"It's just wonderful considering it started off asking for a few chickens to make our window display to look lovely.

"It's just blown me away... it makes my heart burst."

The hens varied in size depending on the type of yarn the knitters made use of

Mr Race is planning his Christmas display which will involve knitted or crocheted wine bottle cardigans in different shades of green.

He will then stack tens of wine bottles into the shape of a Christmas tree.

The shop owner said if there was interest, he potentially could use the project to raise more money for charity.