'˜Close-knit' friends send a bundle of love

Maureen Ramsay hands over the cheque to Mike Beresford as the rest of the Dorcas Group look on

A bumper bundle of baby clothes '“ not to mention a sizeable cheque '“ are winging their way to Africa, thanks to the nimble fingers of a group of '˜close-knit' friends.

The Dorcas Group, which meets weekly in Cupar Baptist Church, presented more than 800 knitted items and almost £1360 to Mike Beresford, mission director of the Zambesi Mission, when he conducted Sunday worship this week.

They’ll be transported to Malawi, where new mums are often so poor that they are forced to wrap their newborns in maize sacks or even newspaper.

Since it was established three years ago by Rev. Tim Power, the Dorcas Group has sent 2967 hats and vests and over 500 blankets – using approximately 424 miles of wool.

During the service, Mr Beresford was presented with another 754 hats and vests and 59 blankets, along with a cheque for £1259.76 to pay for transportation costs.

Maureen Ramsay, who runs the group, said: “ We are always grateful to receive donations of brightly coloured double knitting wool and new knitters as we strive, in love, to share what we have in abundance with our less forturnate sisters.

“The group meets every Tuesday in Cupar Baptist Church Hall from 2-4pm. The surplus money will be used to buy bibles and help with the work of the medical centre run by Zambesi Mission.”

The Zambesi Evangelical Church came into being back in 1894 as a result of the original Zambesi Industrial Mission’s work in what was then known as the British Protectorate of Nyasaland.

For most of its first century, ZEC was a rural church but in recent years it has established a very significant presence.