On Friday 30th of May The Tots Committee welcomed in our new committee members for 2025, being Helena Steed and Nicky Cooper who have both been very active volunteers over the years. We formally welcomed them into their committee roles.
It is with immense pride and gratitude that we present the annual report for the TOTS Blanket Challenge, reflecting on an extraordinary 2024 and a remarkable start to 2025.
A Community Beyond Compare
In 2024, we set ourselves a bold and ambitious target – 650 handmade blankets. At times, particularly mid-year, it felt like a stretch too far. But if the TOTS community has proven anything, it’s that resilience and compassion always win.
Final Tally for 2024: 680 Blankets
That’s 680 blankets – each one lovingly knitted, crocheted, stitched, and sewn by hands across our incredible network of volunteers. These blankets were distributed to our six deeply valued charity partners, who ensure they reach those who need them most:
- Link Wentworth Housing
- Platform Youth Services
- WestCare Penrith
- Penrith Community Kitchen
- The Haven – Nepean Women’s Shelter Inc.
- Cancer Wellness Support
Your dedication – whether crafting squares, sewing edges, sorting donations, or delivering final products – has helped provide comfort, warmth, and dignity to hundreds of people in need.
Panthers Trees of Hope: A Viral Victory
In November 2024, TOTS was honoured to participate in the Panthers Trees of Hope initiative. We put out a call for green-edged granny squares to decorate our tree – and once again, you delivered in abundance.
Thanks to the creative efforts of Helena Steed, Veronica Neal, Kate Olsen, Kim Harmer, and Inga Hickson, our beautifully handcrafted tree captured the hearts of many. The behind-the-scenes video went viral, amassing over 2.1 million views and 4500+ shares on social media. Best of all – we took first prize, earning a $4000 donation to support our work.
This marks a major milestone: our first official funding, which is now helping cover:
- Postage for volunteers outside the Penrith area
- Incidentals and logistical support
It’s a giant leap forward, allowing us to widen our reach while easing the pressure on our grassroots volunteers.
Sewing Bee Sponsorship
We are thrilled to have one of our co working businesses, Embrace Care, put their hands up to sponsor the food for our fortnightly sewing bees. This has allowed us to keep the funds from the Trees of Hope to be used on postage. We extend a huge thank you to Scott and Dianna for this generous support.
Sewing Bees
We started the year strong with about 20 people attending our first sewing bee. We saw a drop off in May however this could have been a result of website challenges. We hope that attendance will pick up for our last few months.
The 2025 Challenge: Aiming Higher
With 2024’s success behind us, we entered 2025 with renewed confidence and an even bigger vision:
Goal: 750 Blankets by 31 July 2025
As of this AGM we have 250 members while our Facebook Group has 538 members.
We were able to donate 50 blankets to the Taree SES to help flood victims.
We have seen more schools get involved. Guardian Angels School in Brisbane, St Columba’s Catholic College, Korowal School in Hazelbrook and Canley Vale Public School. We would love to see more school get on board.
Yes Youth Employment has jumped on board with a sewing bee in their office to engage staff and young people.
Disability groups such Northwest Disability Group and Bligh Park Neighbourhood Centre continue to get their patrons involved in the challenge. They love visiting the Creative Fringe to handover the squares and to see how many blankets we have.
Thanks to the head start and consistent community support, we’re proud to report that by our first handover on 30 May 2025, we had already distributed 471 blankets – well ahead of schedule and halfway to our goal.
This puts us in an excellent position to surpass expectations once again.
Looking Forward
As we continue into the second half of 2025, our focus remains on:
- Connecting communities through creativity and kindness
- Supporting volunteers with tools, postage support, and encouragement
- Partnering with charities to ensure every blanket has a meaningful impact
We’re exploring new fundraising avenues and partnerships to sustain our growth, expand our operations, and include more remote volunteers in meaningful ways.
A Heartfelt Thank You
To every maker, every supporter, every charity partner, and every single person who has played a part in this movement – thank you.
You are the heart of the TOTS Blanket Challenge. Together, we are weaving threads of warmth, hope, and community, one blanket at a time.
Here’s to another year of compassion in action.
With heartfelt thanks,
Debbie O’Connor
President
TOTS Blanket Challenge
May 2025