A NAN has knitted her way into helping an array of causes close to her heart.

Brenda Meakin, from South Ham, was challenged to knit a total of 70 scarves as she turns 70 this year, to raise money and awareness for Crohn’s and Colitis UK, as well as to celebrate the NHS’ 70th birthday this year.

Completing the challenge last week having started at the end of November 2017, Brenda is looking forward to putting the scarves on sale towards the end of the year.

Brenda said: “I’ve always liked to knit, it’s been one of my main hobbies since I had children, making clothes for four children at various points in their lives helps to perfect the idea.

“I’ve loved it, and people are now sending me tonnes of wool since doing the challenge which is the perfect thing to keep going, although my partner isn’t too happy about never having any drawer space!”

Brenda first got involved in the #GetYourBellyOut campaign, a global campaign to support people affected by Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis, when she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 63.

She added: “They helped me massively, and I wanted to give back now I’m in remission. I’ve been walking quite a lot more recently and I’ve been walking miles recently.

“A lot of people don’t know and can’t imagine just quite how vile it can be to have the disease, your weight tends to fluctuate a lot, due to being unable to keep food down, and then it comes back from the medications, which is why I set up my original scheme.”

Previously, Brenda set up a clothes exchange programme where people affected by Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis could try on other people’s clothes and then if they liked them, they could be sent to them for just the cost of the postage. This effort raised over £500.

Just from people encouraging her, Brenda has so far managed to raise £165.

When the scarves go on sale at the end of the year, they will be sold for £7 each.

Brenda added: “If we could sell even some for that, it would be amazing if I even got close to the amount that could be raised from that.”

Victoria Marie, co-founder of the #GetYourBellyOut campaign, said: “I have no doubt that Brenda’s beautiful scarves will sell like hotcakes. She has nothing to worry about. We are incredibly proud of the way she’s chosen to give back to the IBD community.”