A chance encounter at the Positive Ageing Expo two years ago has blossomed into a seamless partnership between the Nelson Tasman Cancer Society and Motueka’s clever Crafty Tarts.
The latter’s 45-odd sewers have created a plethora of items to be sold as Daffodil Day fundraisers later this month, merrily steamrolling past the Cancer Society’s humble suggestion of handmade dog bandanas and tissue holders.
“They only asked us to do two things… and we said, oh, to heck with that,” laughs Crafty Tart Frances Harris, whose 2023 chat with Cancer Society’s Victoria “Vick” Sharp has led to the ongoing collaboration.
The 20-metres of supplied daffodil-print fabric has been transformed into aprons, spiral cloth bowls, toys, greeting cards, boxes and more. It took the crew two months to create the wares, many of the team working at home as well as in their meeting room weekly at Marchwood Park.
“The machine noise down here was deafening,” Frances says. “Everybody’s coming with something different. They’ve all got their own expertise and it’s a real sistership. It’s really lovely. We’re all sharing what we know.”
Vick, who is the volunteer and events coordinator for Cancer Society Nelson Tasman, says the Crafty Tarts have become an integral part of their volunteer team, creating items at other points in the year such as beanies, heart pillows and document carriers for cancer patients.
Vick reckons Motueka is a stronghold for their organisation and says all of the funds raised locally, stay locally.
“That’s something we’re really hot on. We’ve got a really local-centric spin on it here.”
The charity’s Motueka office’s support care coordinator Maureen Urwin says the partnership is a unique flagship one in New Zealand.
“Coming and seeing all this, it made my eyes tear up,” she says. “It’s incredible dedication from these amazing women to do this for us.”
Daffodil Day is the Cancer Society’s major annual fundraising event, this year falling on Friday, 29 August.
The Crafty Tarts’ wares will be sold at Motueka’s Paper Plus from Monday, 18 August, and at a stall in New World Motueka on Daffodil Day itself.
