Could you create the perfect tea cosy?

To mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee St Nicholas Hospice Care wants to bring people together to create an afternoon tea with a difference.

The hospice is calling on the community to grab their knitting (or crochet) needles to help create a wool-inspired afternoon tea display that wouldn’t look out of place at one of Her Majesty’s Garden Parties.

The charity is hoping to be able to create wool-inspired displays in their Haverhill Hub and Bury St Edmund’s St John’s Street shop, and they need everything from knitted quaint cups and saucers to crocheted tempting baked treats.

Alongside this, the hospice is also running a tea cosy competition and asking the community to submit their most creative artistic offerings. The competition, which closes on May 30, will be judged on June 13, at the Haverhill Hub with rosettes for first, second and third place, plus an additional prize of an afternoon tea for two at the Lavenham Swan for the first place winner.

Lizzie Cross, the hospice’s community fundraiser, said: “I really hope that everyone will join us and help celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee with our wool-themed activities. You don’t have to be a brilliant knitter or crocheter, just join us and have some fun.

“We’ve already had some great items in for our afternoon tea displays, but we’d love more. We’re also looking for some of the best tea cosies for our competition too. The wackier the better.”

Tea cosies entered as part of the competition will go on display at the Haverhill Hub. They will be on show until June 30. After that, they will be available for a suggested donation of £5, with all monies raised going to support the work St Nic’s does across the area.

Those who want to pick up their knitting or crochet needles and get involved in either supporting the displays or entering the tea cosy competition can drop finished items off at one of the hospice’s shops, or post them to Lizzie Cross, Community Fundraiser, St Nicholas Hospice Care, Hardwick Lane, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 2QY.

The hospice hopes to have the displays in the shops in-situ in the lead-up to Her Majesty’s celebrations, so would need any items before Thursday, 12 May.

The deadline for entries for the tea cosy competition is Monday, 30 May. You can find out more about the competition and its terms and conditions by clicking here.