A FORMER accountant and craft extraordinaire set up a knitting club at the beginning of the pandemic and has supported local animal charities with her creations.

Jean Willson, 79, of Stevenson Lodge, Poole Road, Westbourne, founded the knitting club with the aim of providing warm, hand-knitted blankets to animals who need them.

Jean, along with Gill Maskell Linda Tucker and Barbara Kelly knit about 14 to 15 blankets every 10 days and donate them to causes of their choosing.

So far, the group has knitted and crocheted over 100 blankets.

Jean said: "We started the group when we first went into lockdown. I volunteered at Poole Hospital and other residents volunteered elsewhere pre-pandemic, but as we couldn’t do this we decided to do something else. We have been knitting for dogs in rescue centres.

"We’re a bit addicted to it now. Since we started, we’ve made about 150 blankets which we have given to various places, including Waggy Tails in Wimborne, the RSPCA and Bournemouth PDSA Pet Hospital, which we couldn’t do before due to restrictions.

"This is something we decided to do in order to keep our hands busy. It’s nice to think the blankets will go to people who can’t afford to buy blankets for the dogs. A lot of homeless people also can’t afford blankets for their dogs, and sometimes old people can’t either."

Jean's inspiration stemmed from experience with her old Labrador, who loved her blankets.

Jean said: "Vets have said that dogs love blankets as it has their own scent on, so dogs in need can take their special blanket with them when they’re adopted.

"Recently, we have taken 12 of our blankets to Margaret Green and two to the PDSA hospital.

"I didn’t expect the club to continue, I thought that everyone would get fed up, but for all of us it’s something to do and we sit outside and knit.

"It’s very simple, but something that we feel like doing. We try to make sure that the blankets go to places where they are passed on to those who need them.

"All of us have really enjoyed doing this and we make sure that the blankets are nice and pretty, even though the dogs may not be able to see the colours properly."