YMCA North Tyneside Unveils Community Blanket at Picnic in the Park!

On Saturday, 6th June 2026, something truly wonderful happened at Picnic in the Park. YMCA North Tyneside officially unveiled our Community Blanket—a vibrant, colourful masterpiece that brings together the stories, creativity, and spirit of communities from across North Tyneside.

Over recent months, local residents, charities, schools, and craft clubs have been pouring their hearts into creating unique 6″ x 6″ squares. Using everything from knitting and crochet to embroidery, fabric art, and hand-drawn designs, every single square tells its own story.

Now sewn together, the finished piece is a breathtaking celebration of connection, care, and collaboration. It is a powerful reminder that when people come together, small individual contributions can create something truly special.

A Celebration of Our Incredible Contributors

This blanket belongs to the community, and it wouldn’t exist without the wonderful organisations and individuals who donated their time and talent. We want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved:

• Live Well with Cancer
• Cullercoats WI (with special thanks to Susanne Moore, who beautifully crafted these squares!)
• The Lil Community Hub & Soundbites
• Keep Well Together
• Stroke North
• YMCA Youth Group
• Age UK
• Take Part North East CIC
• Holystone Hinnies WI
• I Love North Shields (With a huge shout-out to @craft.with.amy for organising this contribution and creating the squares on behalf of Simmie!)

Spotlight on the Centrepiece: Northumbria Crafters

A special note of appreciation goes to the Northumbria Crafters from the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. This amazing team of NHS staff has handmade over 3,000 comfort items for patients and colleagues.

They contributed the 16 squares right in the centre of the blanket, created specifically to spread positivity, raise awareness for bowel cancer and dementia, and celebrate their love for the NHS.

Bringing It All Together

An extra special thank you goes to Sue Yarde, who took on the monumental task of assembling all these individual squares and stitching them into one fantastic, unified piece. Thank you, Sue, for your time and artistry!

Come and See the Blanket!

If you missed the big reveal at Picnic in the Park, don’t worry! The Community Blanket will soon be proudly put up on display at the YMCA North Tyneside building, where it will stand as a lasting tribute to our area’s incredible community spirit. We’d love for you to pop in, see it up close, and find your favorite squares.

Were you or your organisation involved in the project? We want to keep sharing the stories behind the stitches! Leave a comment below to let us know which square is yours, or head over to our social media pages to tag your group and share your photos.