Gary brings colour and warmth to people this winter with popular handmade scarves

“Learning to knit has been very therapeutic for Gary; it’s helping him cope with depression and is also raising funds for a worthy local charity.”

Not only is talented Gary Taylor is brightening up people’s winter wardrobes and has raised a wonderful £225 for St Catherine’s Hospice from donations made towards his handmade, multi-coloured scarves, he’s also reaping the personal benefits of having something to rewarding to focus on, according to his mum Maria.

Gary, 48, from Bamber Bridge, has knitted around 20 scarves in recent months to meet high demand from family and friends – and he even bagged an order from a fellow holiday-maker all the way from Kefalonia!

Maria explained: “Gary has Down’s syndrome and has poor eyesight. He has been suffering with depression for a couple of years, and he was struggling to find the motivation to get out of bed.

“I wanted to think of something to keep him occupied. I used to knit quite a lot when I was younger, so I decided to give that a go with him. He knitted a scarf for his dad Bernard, and lots of people started commenting on it and asking for one. It just snowballed.

“People wanted to give a donation, and with St Catherine’s being our local charity – and the fact that Gary has lost a friend to cancer and we know the hospice cares for people with life-shortening illnesses – we thought it would be a great way of keeping him busy whilst also doing something good for the hospice.

“It takes him a couple of weeks to complete a scarf because he can’t see very well, although the bright colours do help, and people are loving them.

“We even got talking to a couple when we were on holiday in Kefalonia who asked us to post one to them when we got home – they sent a donation as well as lots of labels saying ‘Handmade by Gary Taylor’, which was really lovely.”

Maria added: “We visited St Catherine’s Hospice to make the donation, and Gary really enjoyed seeing where the money was going. Hopefully, people who hear his story will feel motivated to doing something positive themselves, especially if they experience depression or mental health problems – knitting or doing something else creative can be really therapeutic.”

Emma Jacovelli, head of community engagement at St Catherine’s, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to meet Gary and hear about his fantastic achievements in creating some beautiful scarves, and all whilst raising a terrific amount for the hospice. We’re so grateful for all the effort and time he’s spent knitting these brilliant scarves in support of our charity, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing them being proudly worn by people throughout the winter months!”

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