More than 100 volunteers devoted a special Sunday afternoon to making 1,000 pouches for wildlife affected by the bushfires in Australia.

The successful snip ‘n’ sew event was hosted by The Zip Yard, based in intu Milton Keynes, and
attracted animal lovers aged from seven to 90.

After seeing reports on TV, staff launched an appeal that went viral and reached close to a million
people across the world. The initiative was also featured on Anglia TV.

Russell Golding, owner of The Zip Yard Milton Keynes, said:

“We’re always looking at ways to upcycle and recycle and, as a team, we’re passionate about helping people – and wildlife that has been through such a terrifying ordeal. Young animals without their mothers such as kangaroos, possums, koalas and wombats need pouches to aid their recovery and help them grow.”

“We were amazed by the community’s fantastic response to our appeal and would like to thank everyone who came along as well as the businesses who provided refreshments to keep energy levels up.”

“The event was organised chaos with so many happy faces and lots of new friendships being made, all for a worthwhile cause” – added Mr. Golding.

During the event, enthusiastic volunteers helped the store team cut, fold, sew, clean and pack more than 1,000 animal pouches, bat slings and animal beds ready to be sent to Australia.