GRESFORD Women's Institute welcomed over 70 people to a drop in craft event held as part of the national Get Creative Festival.

The festival is a national celebration of everything creative, which takes place annually across the UK, growing from a single day of activities in 2016 to over 1,400 events over nine days up and down the country in 2018. This year the Festival ran from May 11 to 19, with Gresford WI taking part for the first time, hoping to inform, encourage and inspire attendees.

Lynne Humphreys, President of Gresford WI said: "The annual festival shines a light on all the great cultural activity that takes place on a regular basis in every community and encourages people to try their hand at something new and get actively involved in creativity in their local area.

"Ten members of Gresford WI demonstrated how to make a range of items, including knitted Christmas stockings, blankets and corsages, padded coat hangers, quilted items, loom knitting and origami star decorations.

"Visitors, including many from other W.I.s and local craft groups, were able to try their hand and take home patterns, instructions and materials as well as items they had produced such as encaustic art pictures and folded book hedgehogs."

The event, which took place in Gresford Memorial Trust, also provided an opportunity to support one of the National Federation of W.I.s’ campaigns to encourage recycling, cut waste and reduce single use plastics by taking patterns and materials to make fabric Morsbags.

She added:"Accompanying the demonstration of knitted cannula sleeves was a display of activities of the “Handmade for Dementia” knitting group set up in Chester by singer Sharon Wallace to make mitts which would cover cannulas and hopefully avoid them being removed by distressed or confused patients.

"Members of Gresford WI were delighted to hear that those who attended the event had thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon, chatting and sharing ideas over a cup of tea and cake."