Mansfield's knitting nanas give NHS staff on coronavirus frontline tasty treats

The Mansfield grandmas – who call themselves “the Knitting Nanas” – are well known in the district for their annual project knitting bunnies and chicks containing Cadbury's Creme eggs.

The grandmothers, who purchase the chocolate eggs themselves make the woolly bunny and chick covers during the year. They usually sell them for £1 at shops and doctors surgeries in the town. Over the years, they have raised thousands of pounds for Mansfield charities.

This year, due to the coronavirus crisis they were not able to come together at their usual selling points such as Tesco and Wilko.

So, the nifty nans decided to hand over their chocolate treats free as a gesture of thanks to NHS staff at Kinsg Mill Hospital, many on the frontline of the Covid 19 virus crisis.

Some of the eggs were also handed over as a treat for staff and residents at the Baily House Care Home in Mansfield.

One of the Knitting Nannas, Margaret Langrick, of said: “Because of the coronavirus we couldn’t sell our chicks and bunny eggs in the usual way, so we came up with the idea of donating them free to the Kings Mill Hospital staff and some to the Baily House Care Home.

“The NHS staff at Kings Mill are dealing with the coronavirus at the moment, as well as all they do, so it was just meant as a little treat, to lift their spirits. They were given as a thank you for what they do for us, especially at this difficult time.

She added: “This year our efforts were tinged with sadness as we have lost two members of our Knitting Nannas group this year, and our thoughts are with their families.

“One of them, who was dedicated to the project, she worked hard stitching the bunnies and chicks, was in hospital with a heart problem.

"Her husband was able to give the staff some of the eggs as a thank you, so it was nice she knew that that had happened.”