Let’s Give St Andrew’s a Giant Hug
The Friends of St Andrew’s Church, Little Massingham (FOSALM), have joined with Quilts 4 Care Leavers (q4cl.org.uk) to create something very special: a Giant Hug big enough to wrap right around St Andrew’s Church.
The project, “Let’s Give a Giant Hug”, was launched in November 2023 and has already attracted lots of local interest.
For FOSALM, the Hug is part of our mission to restore the church roof, which was badly damaged when thieves stole the lead in 2017. Thanks to generous donations and events, we’ve raised over £23,000, but we still need to reach our target of £150,000.
St Andrew’s is a Grade I Listed church and is on Historic England’s At Risk Register. It needs urgent repair and protection, and what better way to highlight that need than to wrap it in a hug.
But this project is not just about the church. It is also about people. Quilts 4 Care Leavers provides quilted hugs to young adults aged 16–25 who have grown up in care and are now moving into independent living. Once discharged from local authority care, many of these young people face life alone, often with very limited resources. A handmade quilt is both practical and a powerful symbol. It reminds them that they are not forgotten and that they matter.