A SPECIAL market stall selling hand-knitted baby clothes made in Furness is set to open for one day only in a bid to boost funds for a maternity appeal.
Generous volunteers across the area have created the range of newborn cardigans, little woolly hats and home-crafted blankets for the event at Barrow Market on Friday June 16.
All the money raised from the stall will go towards the BayB Maternity Appeal, which aims to ensure the new maternity unit at Furness General Hospital is the best equipped in the country.
The fund currently stands at more than £76,000, but appeal coordinators are aiming to hit their ambitious target of £250,000 by Christmas.
Maternity appeal co-ordinator Heidi Bowron said: “I do sell hand-knitted babywear from the appeal office in the entrance to Furness General Hospital. We receive the items as donations from keen local knitters, who invest a lot of time and skill in them.
"As I have acquired quite a lot recently, we thought a market stall would be a good idea."
While a team of volunteers man the stall between 10am and 3pm, local vocalists Becki Fishwick and Devan Moore will perform for shoppers to mark the occasion.
Prices are likely to be around £5 for cardigans, £3 for hats and bonnets and from £8 for blankets.
Mrs Bowron added: "When you look at the quality and craftsmanship involved, it's not a lot of money.
"However, as everything has been given to us, the full sale price will go directly into the appeal account as we are not being charged for our pitch either, thanks to the traders’ association and Barrow Borough Council."
The fund will be used to buy items for the new unit which are not normally affordable to the NHS.
This will include fold-out beds to allow partners to stay overnight, a room for parents whose babies are too sick to go home and a state-of-the-art life-sized training mannequin.
It is hoped the unit will be complete by Christmas before opening its doors to the first women and newborn babies soon after.
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