A HUDDERSFIELD woman has charity fundraising all stitched up!

Elaine Barden, 64, and her friend Nancy Baxter, 75, have knitted 300ft of scarves to raise £900 for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association.

Over the last 12 months the pair have been elbow-deep in yarn, making up to four, foot-long scarves each, per night.

Mrs Barden, from Newsome, was inspired by her late husband, Ian Gibson, who died 20 years ago from MND.

A lifelong knitter, Mrs Barden and her friend Nancy, a fellow member of MND Association Huddersfield, decided to put their skills to good use.

Word of their snazzy scarves, made from Firefly yarn, spread across Huddersfield and the pair spent most nights knitting.

Mrs Barden, a retired computer operator for ICI, said: “I saw someone wearing one and thought: ‘I could do that’.

“It’s spread by word of mouth and by people seeing other people wearing them, liking them and wanting to buy one.

“I’ve been doing this every single night I’ve stayed in and there are still people asking for them.

“It’s quite an achievement to sell 300 scarves by word of mouth. I think we lost track of how many we sold.’’

Mrs Barden, who has re-married added: “At the time there were balls of wool and needles everywhere. I think my husband, Stuart, may have been fed up with it but he didn’t say anything!”

So will Mrs Barden and Mrs Baxter, of Marsh, be knitting anymore?

Mrs Barden: “No. Half of Huddersfield has got those scarves! But we’re always coming up with ideas and we will continue to fundraise.”

MND Association provides support for people with the disease and their carers.

For more information visit: www.mndassociation.org or call: 08457 626262

MND is a progressive condition which affects the body’s motor neurones which control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body.

Symptoms of MND usually become apparent between the ages of 50 and 70.

About half of people with MND die within 14 months of diagnosis although 10% of people can live another 10 years.

Physicist Professor Stephen Hawking has lived with MND for 40 years.

About 90% of people with MND have no family history of the condition.