The story has often been told. Sonia Gidley-King, recently widowed and recovering from cancer surgery, was facing an uncertain future. On television she watched an item about Mozambique, a country ravaged by war and poverty, and determined on the spot that something should be done. More than that, she felt impelled to act, and she came up with the idea of knitting squares to be made into blankets to provide warmth ‘for cold humanity’. Sonia had a stash of old wool in a cupboard. (For example, there were six balls of maroon wool left over from a school jumper she had knitted for her son six years earlier.)

And so it began. Sonia, very well remembered to this day for her persistence, persuasiveness and confidence that what was needed would be provided, set out to organise her friends, find accommodation and solve the very difficult task of arranging transport around the world. Finally Community Aid Abroad offered to pack wraps around recycled machinery being shipped in containers. It’s destination … Mozambique.

There were thirty-eight wraps in that first consignment. Twenty-five years later and our total is in the region of 400,000 wraps. It’s cause for celebration!

This will be a celebration of all that has been achieved by Wrap with Love over the past twenty-five years in helping to warm the world. We will be providing a short history of the organisation, and showing you how it all works, from the creation of wraps, transport to the Alexandria Warehouse, processing and packing, collection by non-government organisations and others providing shipping overseas. There will be lots of heart-warming photos of recipients of wraps in all parts of the world.

You’ll hear the stories of some of our extraordinary volunteers and their achievements. And you’ll see the joy experienced by the many thousand of volunteers who make this enterprise work. For we are very aware that it isn’t only the people receiving wraps who benefit from Sonia’s vision.

Please note that the Wrap with Love warehouse and office will be closed on Wednesday 24th and Friday 26th May 2017.