Maker Update May 2025
STATE OF THE (Q4CL) NATION 2024-25:
Christmas Dinners
In 2024, we continued to offer our specially sized quilts to the guests at the Christmas Day Dinners for Care Leavers, and will continue to do so. There were fewer dinners held under the auspices of The Gold From The Stone charity this last year. There were new ones, stalwarts, and a few returners. Members keep on making, which means we can donate wherever a new dinner pops up or plan for more guests, almost no matter how late in December. Ruth is a wonder, orchestrating what/how many go from place A to their final destination, and team tag is brilliant. “old” dinners took fewer hugs this year, mainly it seems because they knew that there would be fewer new guests. So, 2024 saw 19 dinners give out 612 hugs.
Universities
We continued with our 1st year university care leaver student project, and this will increase again in the academic year 24/25. We now have a waiting list for this service.
Local Authorities
We began developing our Local Authority donations. Not all go to Care Leaver Week events, but we send them wherever and whenever they are asked for. So, with 31 non-dinner partners, we donated 1305 quilts in 2024. We are also donating to agencies supporting young Care Leavers and charities like The House Project, and Pause.
Little Massingham
In addition, the Little Massingham/ Norfolk project had its final exhibition, when we gave the ancient church a hug with tops made from our January strip block drive, and made press coverage locally, including BBC tv and radio. Earlier this year, a group of us made more tops from donated strips/blocks, and by the end of 2025 over 150 quilts will have been made for Care Leavers in Norfolk under this initiative.
For 2024, the total number of quilts finished was 1681, including 191 block drive quilts.
Hot Water Bottle Covers and Morsbags
Our hottie covers are always well received. They are not labeled, but have a tag attached. We ask for the dinners/local authorities to source the bottles for the covers. And like the quilts, they are chosen by the younglings. Whilst we offer hotties and Morsbags to all of our partners, we only supply those items that they ask for.
We called a moratorium on Morsbags to enable us to review and consider how we were using them. The original idea had been for the bags to be offered with the quilts, to carry them home in. That wasn’t always practical at dinners, but they were very popular with attendees at other events when offered. So, we have asked for Morsbags to be made, as well as hottie covers, please.
Festival of Quilts
We were lucky enough to be given a double-width stand at FOQ, and met so many of you there. Always a delight to put names to faces!! And we now know that we will have a stall again this year: no idea of size, but any size is welcome.Make it stand out
Best of all, in 2024, Q4CL became a charity. Now, we can claim gift aid on all donations made by UK taxpayers. Charity No. 1207069.
Trustee Updates
Ruth and Kathrin resigned as trustees, to enable them to continue working in the back office and avoid those pesky potential conflicts of interest. Tom joined us as trustee, and brings yet more business experience with him. We are looking to increase our trustee numbers, to bring more experience, skills, and input.
Regional Groups
Northern Ireland became a charity because of grant applications. The law is different there, even tho’ still part of the UK. Q4 still supports them, as we do Scotland.
What’s Next
We have been working on a 5-year plan for Q4, and once finessed, will be shared so far as we can.
We have over 3,300 members, not all makers but all valued. We can of course, always welcome more!!
Thank you for your support, and keep eyes open for other ways that you can support Q4CL and our care leavers.
Maggie L-J
April 2025.