Over 1000 babies are born at Middlemore Hospital each year. Some go home to warm, comfortable homes however, sadly, not all Middlemore's newborns are so lucky. Throughout South Auckland hundreds of babies go back to houses lacking proper insulation or effective means of heating and parents cannot afford to purchase clothes for a constantly growing baby this winter. Without these simple, but essential things babies become even more vulnerable to respiratory diseases such as asthma, which will plague them for life.
Fortunately, South Auckland's Health Foundation has put together 'The Wool Programme', providing newborns to toddlers with booties, blankets and beanies for the chilly winter. This year Strathallan has decided to jump on board with this great cause. Throughout this term a group of community conscious students and teachers, headed by Mrs Hibbard, are knitting up a storm for babies all over South Auckland. The Knitting Committee is encouraging everyone to get involved with knitting classes taking place all over the school so they can take home their new skills and get going on those booties! Students and families can knit at home, school or anywhere their needles will take them!
To gain as much interest as possible another element has been added: a House Competition. Each piece of knitting gets a house point, the more complicated the knitting the more you get and at end of the first week of term 3, the House with the most points wins. To add just a little more, the person who knits the most from each house will get to journey up to Middlemore Hospital to visit some of the babies they have helped to keep warm this winter and potentially saved from a lifetime of respiratory problems.
