Months of work by a dedicated community of knitters have paid off as a soup kitchen reaches its goal of creating Bridport’s Longest Scarf.
Bridport Community Kitchen launched a fundraising campaign last year which invited the town to knit squares which would be sewn together to create a scarf.
Enthusiastic knitters set to work and have made enough squares to make a scarf measuring a whopping 410 metres in length.
This will cover the distance between the kitchen, which is based in Priory Lane, and Bridport Town Hall.
READ MORE: Inside Bridport Community Kitchen helping the homeless
Now a date has been set for the grand unrolling of the scarf from Gundry Lane to the town hall at 10am on Friday, April 26.
Bev Thornton, who helps to run the charity, said: "I am really looking forward to the Grand Unrolling of the scarf. It’s the exciting end product of months of hard work by many people both locally and from further afield.
"It is good to know that so far we have already raised not only the profile of the community kitchen, but also a much needed £2,000 towards the continued running of this essential resource."
A team of volunteers at the charity gathered early this year to measure the scarf and announced on social media on February 19 that they had surpassed their target with the scarf measuring 410 metres.
After the unrolling, the scarf will be made into smaller scarves and pet blankets for the RSPCA. Volunteers have also begun to make hats out of the bits of yarn that are left over.
Each square could also be sponsored to raise money for the charity. So far the kitchen has raised £1533 with this fundraising project.
Not only that but their project has also attracted international attention with knitters from as far afield as Australia getting involved.
Bev added: “The community response has been magnificent, as is shown by how quickly the scarf has come together.
"It has been wonderful to see the response from the local community and beyond. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the project.
"This will go a long way to supporting the ongoing work of the community kitchen."
Bridport Mayor, Dave Bolwell, who has worked closely with the kitchen this year, will be attending the rollout in and is immensely proud of the Bridport community for their contributions to this project.
He said: "It has developed into a real community effort, well advertised by the Tourist Information Centre and I am proud that a simple idea has brought so many people together for this good cause. Several ladies and gentlemen have learnt to knit and is excellent therapy for the finger joints!
We will be unrolling the scarf on Friday, April 26 from 10am starting at the Community Kitchen. Tea, coffee and cake will be available at the Kitchen before the rollout and we hope as many people as possible will join in.
"The Town Crier will ring us out and along to the Town Hall where further refreshments will be available.
"We will have collecting buckets on the way to hopefully raise more funds."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here