PUTTING a hat on a postbox has been embraced locally.

For Catherine Heaton, of Mary’s Snowflake Creation, has been hard at work in Prudhoe decorating three of the town’s postboxes - with more ‘hats’ expected to soon pop up.

The handmade, crochet items have been a welcome addition to the town and lifted postal workers’ spirits.

Catherine said: “As a result of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and being medically retired from a career that I’d worked very hard in, I set up a charity in 2014 called Mary’s Snowflake Creations, producing hand knitted and crocheted items to raise money for The Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“When the pandemic forced the country into the first lockdown in 2020, I realised that our posties were providing such a vital service and as key workers, were working very hard to provide it. I felt that I should do something to say thank you on behalf of the community and as I certainly wasn’t short of yarn, I decided to crochet rainbow postbox hats for both the postbox outside my local sorting office and another for the postbox in the estate where I live, both for them for our community. My aim was purely to raise a few smiles!”

Coun. Bryan Futers and new mayor of Prudhoe was delighted to be invited to celebrate Catherine’s achievements for her charity and for making Prudhoe part of the national effort to put a hat on a postbox.

He said: “It is amazing that Catherine has used her fine skills to create something to share with the community as well as raising funds for The Multiple Sclerosis Society. And then to find out that postbox hats are being created across the country, that certainly made me smile and I felt very proud that Prudhoe was part of this crafty phenomenon.”

Mary’s Snowflake Creation charge for materials used and ask for a donation for its labour. It has posted items worldwide, raising almost £9,000 this year alone. More at http://www.facebook.com/maryssnowflakecreations