A group of ladies from Churchill Retirement Living’s Tregolls Lodge in Truro have been busy knitting woollen gifts for babies at a local hospital.

The ladies have formed a weekly Knit and Natter group, where every Tuesday afternoon they meet in the owners’ lounge at the lodge to chat and knit clothes and blankets to donate to the neonatal ward at the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske.

It all started when lodge manager Cheryl Hinton’s grandson, Reggie, was born eight weeks premature last July. Weighing just 3lbs 4oz, he was admitted to the neonatal ward, where he spent six weeks receiving specialist care alongside many other premature or sick newborn babies. Now six months and thriving, Reggie regularly comes to visit the lodge with his grandmother and older brother Riley.

Cheryl said: “The ladies were concerned when they heard that Reggie had been born so early and wanted to do something to help. Quite a few of them had knitted previously and we even have one former speed knitter here, so they decided to dust off their knitting needles and get together to create items that the neonatal ward and babies like Reggie could make use of.

"There’s no stopping them now as they find it so rewarding to do something charitable and of course enjoy having a natter over a cup of tea too.”

So far, the ladies have knitted several blankets and items of clothing, which have been donated to the hospital. Resident Joan Sirrell said: “We love it when Cheryl brings Reggie in and it’s hard to believe he was born so early. We’re thrilled to be doing something to help all the babies at the hospital and plan to continue as long as our wares are needed.”