General News
2 July, 2025
Red Cross and PWA display cooperation and kindness
A happy resident at Cooee Lodge receiving a special knee rug.
By Shirley Marks
Cooperation between the local branch of Australian Red Cross and the Presbyterian Women’s Association (PWA) has resulted in a very happy resident at Cooee Lodge receiving a special knee rug for winter this year.
For many years some PWA members and friends have knitted squares, which were then sewn into rugs by Beryl McKenzie (PWA president). To finish off the rugs they were passed to Beryl’s sister, Pat Lummis, who crocheted around the edges and added a label advising the eventual owner they were made with love from the PWA Ladies in Gilgandra.
For many years these rugs were sent to Sydney, mainly to aged care homes, where residents appreciated having their own special rug. Over time, with changing rules and difficulties arranging transport, and cost of same, this practice was discontinued.
The rugs were then made available to aged care facilities in Gilgandra and anyone who needed them, including the homeless through Gilgandra Youth Club.
Moving forward, earlier in the year a Red Cross newsletter advised that they had a number of knitted squares available to anyone who could use them. Contact was made, the squares were located in Sydney and Mrs Heather Hyslop, whose daughter teaches at Gilgandra High School, collected them and brought them to Gilgandra in February on one of her visits.
Between other voluntary work, including distribution of some lovely crocheted rugs to Coo-ee Lodge residents donated by a kind and talented person to PWA, Beryl sewed squares together, Pat crocheted and affixed labels, including this time one from Red Cross in addition to the standard PWA label. Harold, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday at Coo-ee Lodge, was the fortunate recipient – and he was very pleased!
Should mention that Beryl and Pat are now both residents at Cooee Lodge. Pat is 91 years of age and recently moved to Cooee, Beryl 89 years of age has lived at Cooee for nearly three years, but age shall not weary them! Yesterday they were at a football match to watch their great-grandchildren play and today they went to church followed by lunch at the Coo-ee Heritage Centre (CHC) – true legends of Gilgandra.
They follow in the footsteps of their mother Clarice Scholz, who volunteered and supported so many organisations, and their grandmother Clara Ward who, through her ‘signature quilt’ on display at the CHC, raised much funds towards the first public hospital.
