Linda Gilroy MP encourages people in Plymouth to get involved in Save the Children’s ‘Knit One, Save One’ campaign

Plymouth Sutton MP Linda Gilroy is asking everyone in Plymouth to get their needles out and take part in Save the Children’s ‘Knit One, Save One’ campaign. Experienced knitters and novices alike are knitting hats for newborn babies which are attached to messages asking the Prime Minister to make saving children's lives a priority.

Linda Gilroy MP said: ‘’The large majority of child deaths are preventable and its wonderful to know that a simple solution such as knitting a hat can help to save a life.  I hope the fact that such a small action can have an impact will inspire people in Plymouth  to take part in this campaign and knit a hat for Save the Children.’’

Pneumonia still kills a staggering 2 million children each year. Newborn babies are particularly vulnerable as they cannot control their body temperature. It takes just 2 minutes for a wet, newborn baby to lose a dangerous 2 degrees in body temperature. Most of this vital heat is lost through the soft spots on a baby’s head so a woolly hat can mean the difference between life and death.

As well as backing the campaign, Linda Gilroy will be signing a parliamentary motion calling on the Government to ensure that all children and their mothers get access to basic healthcare, adequate nutrition, clean water and safe sanitation.

Save the Children will send the hats to places where large numbers of newborn babies die each year such as Kenya and Tibet. Tibet programme Manager Tashi Tsering says: "Parents do everything they can to protect their babies from cold. But the most important thing - putting a hat on the baby's head - is neglected. That's like leaving a thermos bottle filled with hot water but without a lid."

‘Knit One, Save One’ is part of the Save the Children’s child survival campaign which aims to get 10 million people to take action by 2010 for the 10 million children that die each year.

• The ‘Knit One, Save One’ campaign ends on 21st October 2008.
• Save the Children fight for children in the UK and around the World who suffer from poverty, disease, injustice and violence.  Save the Children works with them to find lifelong answers to the problems that they face.
• Visit www.savethechildre.org.uk/knitting or call 0207 012 6705 for more information about the ‘Knit One, Save One’ campaign.

9 June 2008