Church gets a 'hug' from quilts for care leavers

Villagers held up quilts around St Andrew's Church in Little Massingham

A village church has been given a "giant hug" from quilts that were made to help fundraise for a new roof.

St Andrew's Church in Little Massingham, Norfolk, had been given 75 homemade creations from across the UK, with the quilts exhibited at the church at the weekend.

On Monday, villagers surrounded the church with the quilts before they were donated to the Quilts for Care Leavers charity.

"It's so exciting and so colourful and the church definitely needs a hug," said Rosemary Jewers of the church's friends group.

Fundraising continued at the church on Monday, with miniature donkeys from the village making an appearance

The Grade I-listed church is on the at-risk register and needs more than £122,000 for a new roof after lead was stolen in 2017, with some £21,000 raised so far.

"It's almost a year since we started this project; I had the idea of trying to highlight the plight of the church, and I really wanted the quilts to go to a good cause afterwards," she explained.

"I found Quilts for Care Leavers, which makes what they call hugs for young people leaving the care system - which is a wonderful idea.

"We made them in such a short time."

As well as donations from Norfolk quiltmakers, the friends received support from across the country, with "masses" of fabric leftover for as many quilts again, Ms Jewers said.

Among the villagers who each held up a quilt around the church was Mary-Ann Holloway, whose family has lived in Little Massingham for more than 200 years.

She said she wanted to support the church "which is requiring quite a lot of hugs".

"It means a lot to me, I was born and brought up in the village and I was christened and married here.

"We're pleased to see so many people here today."