Address the Elephant in the Room
A charity campaign to help get people talking
It popped up a few times on my Facebook feed that my local division of Mind, a mental health charity, were arranging a campaign during July. This was launched to help raise awareness of mental health, and encourage people to be able to talk about this tricky subject. There were a few ways people can support this campaign: buying a badge, placing an elephant in your window, and also by purchasing a crochet kit to make an elephant. So naturally, I chose to buy a kit!
Here he is!
This campaign feels perfect for me. I’ve struggled with mental health issues for as long as I can remember, and when I started to crochet a couple of years ago, I found it helped me so much. When I felt anxious or panicked, crochet would help keep me busy and distract me as I focussed on following patterns, It also helped keep my nervous hands busy. Also, the satisfaction of completing a project gave me a chance to smile and feel good about myself.
So this is a perfect chance to combine my love of crochet with a cause close to my heart.
The Pack
I contacted HEY Mind to receive my crochet kit. These are costed at a suggested £5 donation plus a contribution to delivery. The package arrived a few days later and easily fit through my letterbox.
Inside the pack was the pattern, a ball of yarn, stuffing, a sticker and some more details about Mind and the competition. All I needed was a hook, stitch marker and stitch counter.
Here is the the kit that I received
The Elephant
This cheeky little elephant was a nice and easy make, and a lovely way to spend my Saturday afternoon. He doesn’t take too long to make and is not too tricky. I found the trunk a bit fiddly to make, but no major issues.
If you do get this crochet pack, be aware that the pattern uses UK terms. It is made in the round using double crochet stitches (sc in US terms), and the feet contain back loop only stitches.
Anyway, here is my finished elephant. I ended up getting the ears and trunk a bit wonky, but it doesn’t look too bad with the right camera angle!
Let’s Get People Talking About It
I loved making this little elephant, and I hope that by doing so can encourage the discussion of mental health to be normalised.
This is a campaign for my local area, but mental health affects many of us across the world. Hopefully, this campaign can spread awareness and encourage others to get talking wherever we are.
And, I can say one thing for certain. My elephant did get people talking! I shared my elephant along with my story on Instagram, and received comments and direct messages from people who had a similar experience, and found solace in crochet. Thank you Mind for connecting us!
I have my little elephant on my mantelpiece in my crafting room/office. He is there as a little reminder that I am no alone in the world.
If you are struggling at the moment, please do not suffer in silence. Mental health affects so many people, and discussions need to happen a lot more than what it is right now. From my own experiences, talking about it for the first time can be a scary thought. But opening up to someone, whether it be a loved one or a professional can help. It can lift the weight inside of you and gets you on the right path to happiness!
Mind has a lot of resources about mental health, so would highly recommend visiting their website for your own health, or the health of a loved one. You can receive a variety of help from Mind here.
This post was originally written for my blog, Coven Crafts on 13th July 2020. Thank you for reading.
About the Creator
Charlotte Wilson
I share craft related content mostly. Find my original posts on my blog, Coven Crafts: www.covencrafts.co.uk
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