Save the Children - MPs knit together to save ten million children's lives

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Wednesday, 09, Jul 2008 12:00

20 MPs, including Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, joined forces in the Houses of Parliament today (Wednesday), to knit baby hats for Save the Children’s latest campaign to save ten million children’s lives.

The cross-party knitting session gave MPs the opportunity to set an example to world leaders by doing something tangible to save children’s lives.

Politicians from all over the UK attended a special Save the Children knitting event, before continuing their hat-making during Prime Minister’s questions this afternoon.

Ed Balls said:

"Save the Children are doing some excellent work to help children who are living in many of the world’s poorest countries. Projects like this one are a powerful demonstration that we can all make a contribution. The knitting challenge shows that even the smallest efforts by each of us can make a difference.”

The event was part of the charity’s latest campaign, ‘knit one, save one’, which encourages people in the UK to knit life-saving hats for newborns around the world. Save the Children has now received over 180,000 hats following pleas from Paul O Grady on his show, after he visited South Africa with the charity. Hats have already been sent to Tibet, Burma and Kenya but more are needed to keep saving babies lives.

A woolly hat can mean the difference between life and death for a newborn baby as they are unable to regulate their own body temperature. It takes just 2 minutes for a wet, newborn baby to lose a dangerous 2°C in body temperature - making them prone to catching one of the big killer diseases, pneumonia. In contrast, it takes just one hour for an MP to make a small bonnet and save a baby's life. Over 1 million babies don't survive beyond their first day of life and the charity is keen for more hats to be knitted.

Kerry McCarthy, Labour MP for Bristol East said:

"I am really happy to be able to support this Save the Children campaign, and I know that many of my parliamentary colleagues feel the same. It gives everyone - or at least everyone who can knit! - the opportunity to do their bit to help protect vulnerable babies in the developing world, and perhaps even save a life in the process."

The parliamentary knitting circle was also addressed by Libby Rees, child author and Save the Children youth ambassador, who has already knitted 60 baby hats. Libby added:

“It’s a simple act to knit one of these hats and you can feel the difference it will make to the life of one tiny baby. I don’t want the next generation of children in the UK to grow up in a world where babies are dying from preventable causes, such as pneumonia.”

As part of the campaign, MPs and members of the public alike are asked to fill in an action card, which Save the Children will send to Gordon Brown asking him to prioritise saving children's lives.

Adrian Lovett, Director of Campaigns and Communications at Save the Children said:

"The hats we have received so far are a fantastic start to this campaign but we still need many more. We hope that everyone who knits a hat will also fill in an action card telling Gordon Brown why they got involved. With more hats and everyone’s help we can push the government to stick to the promise they and other world leaders made to cut child mortality by two thirds by 2015."

The charity wants to get 10 million people taking action for the 10 million children still dying before the age of five by 2010. A 'knit-kit' can be found on their website www.savethechildren.org.uk/knitting giving clear instructions to supporters who have never knitted before and information on where to send their life-saving hats.

The event took place in Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament at 11am on Wednesday 9th July.

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Kate Redman, Media Manager, Save the Children – 0207 012 6863. k.redman@savethechildren.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

For more information on knitting please visit: www.savethechildren.org.uk/knitting

Save the Children is the world’s independent children’s charity. We’re outraged that millions of children are still denied proper healthcare, food, education and protection. We’re working flat out to get every child their rights and we’re determined to make further, faster changes. How many? How fast? It’s up to you.

For more information visit www.savethechildren.org.uk