Welcome Boxes Brought to Life

Lots of local residents and companies, play a part in the welcome boxes and below you can hear from some of them.

Local resident talks about making the little hats and how she got into knitting

I know lots of families have really appreciated the hat and shawl for their baby. How long have you been knitting and what kind of things do you like to make?

I’m now in my 70’s but I’ve been knitting since I was 13 when my little sister was born and I knitted for her. I remember that school cardigans were often on the go for her and I knitted jumpers for myself. I picked up the needles again when my own daughter was born in Berlin, Germany where I faced the challenge of practising my German to buy patterns and yarn. In recent years my daughter has joined me in a weekly knitting group that makes blankets for refugee and children orphanage charities that my church supports. 

What is your connection with Trumpington and how have you seen it change over the years?

I’m just celebrating my 23 year anniversary of living in Trumpington and the changes have been staggering with the increase in population here as more and more families move into the hundreds of new homes that have been built to accommodate the many people who come to work on the ever-expanding biomedical campus around the Addenbrookes site and in the hospitals themselves. Improvements to the transport infrastructure over the years have brought us the Park & Ride scheme, followed by the guided bus that we now take for granted.  

Many families in Trumpington are grateful for their welcome baby box. What would you like to say to the families that receive your beautiful knitted hats?                    

It’s our pleasure to knit for the welcome boxes and my daughter in particular writes touchingly as follows:  “For a woman who cannot have children of my own, I hope families and babies especially will benefit from the hobby I like to do.”

Local resident SHEILA Betts talks about the part she plays in the Welcome boxes and her connection to Trumpington

The recipients of the boxes love the fact that the dolls are personalised. How long have you been sewing and what kind of things do you like to make?

That’s so lovely to hear, sewing is my passion. I’ve been sewing and knitting since I was around 6 years old. My mum and both my grandmothers taught me and encouraged me to sew, knit and embroider. Over the years I’ve made all sorts of clothes for myself and my family, especially when my children were young and now my granddaughters receive a variety of cardigans and dresses. Last year I made quite a lot of scrubs for a Cambridge network and at the moment I’m making a jacket for myself.

 What is your connection with Trumpington and how have you seen it change over the years?

We joined a self-build scheme and moved into our new house in 1983 when our son was 3. Our daughter was born a year later. Trumpington felt like a village and felt quite separate from Cambridge. There were lots of community groups and I got to meet other mums through the local playgroup, Minus Five. Some of those groups no longer exist but others have taken their place. With all the new-builds there are a lot more young families and Trumpington feels like a vibrant community.

Many families in Trumpington are grateful for their welcome baby box. What would you like to say to one of the families that receive a personalised doll?

Welcome to you and your little one! I hope you find a place here in Trumpington where you feel at home: join in with local activities and build a network of friends. You can’t go far wrong by being part of HonC!

Local business woman, Fiona Brown from Bibetta tells us about how she set up the business here in Trumpington

I know lots of families have really appreciated the Bibetta product that has been included in the box. How long has Bibetta been up-and-running and how did it get started? 

The idea for Bibetta came when we had our daughter. We had a draw full of bibs, the ones with plastic backing fell apart and the cotton ones always let liquid through so our daughter’s clothes got wet. Not good in the middle of winter! Paul, the founder of Bibetta is a Product Designer and keen surfer, so he cut up one of his old neoprene wetsuits and made a sample bib. We tested it out in a local nursery and then set up production. Bibetta has been established for 17 years and we have increased the number and styles of products through the years, including bibs for disabled child and adults.

What is your connection with Trumpington and how have you seen it change over the years? 

We moved here when we started working in Cambridge over 20 years ago as it was a good base to travel to work from. We remember fields all around Trumpington and playing tennis at the PBI before Waitrose and Trumpington Meadows estate were built. The biggest change is the increase in housing over the last few years. It would be great to see a few more shops in the local vicinity to support people so they don’t have to travel so far to buy things but the opening of The Clay Farm Community Centre is a good thing, creating a hub where people can meet and attend events and groups.

Many families in Trumpington are grateful for their welcome baby box. What would you like to say to the families that receive a product from Bibetta?    

We hope that you like the product and find it useful.