CHURCHES in Dorset are putting their knitting needles together so mothers in South Africa can stop taking their babies home 'wrapped in newspaper'.

Ladies from Knit and Natter groups in Abbotsbury, Beaminster, Melbury and Cattistock have been busy knitting blankets and layettes for the 'Hug a Baby' campaign.

'Hug a Baby' is a Dorset initiative that sends care packages to new South African mothers, who otherwise would not be able to clothe their children.

The scheme began after a member of the St Nicholas congregation travelled to Cape Town where she witnessed women forced to take newborns home from hospital wrapped in newspaper.

Since her return, ladies from St Nicholas, St Mary, St Thomas, and St Peter and St Paul have been getting together to knit hundreds of garments to add to the packages.

Peggy Ford, a Knit and Natter member from Abbotsbury, said: "The ladies buy all their own wool and knit at home in our spare time. There are about 10 ladies in our Abbotsbury group in total, and each time we meet up we have about ten to a dozen new blankets."

Over the past year, more than 2,500 packages have been sent to hospitals in Cape Town.

However, after recent packages were lost in Cape Town Post Office Depot, the ladies have been raising funds to ensure safe arrival on shipping containers.

Last weekend, St Nicholas Church held a Flower Festival to raise money for its latest shipment, which will cost £800.

Visitors enjoyed homemade cake and delicate flower arrangements whilst listening to Peggy and her group explain the scheme.

The weekend raised a total of £340, which will be added to the funds from the other churches to pay for the shipping costs.

Peggy said: "What is good is that we are not a charity, so nobody is taking any money. All the knitted items go straight from Dorset ladies to the mothers."