Knitting needles at the ready: The innocent Big Knit is back, raising money for Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove

Where there’s wool, there’s a way! The much-loved innocent Big Knit campaign has returned, and Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove (WSBH), in partnership with innocent drinks, is calling on the knitting ninjas of the area to wield their needles and help make a big difference to the lives of older people. The popular campaign sees the nation’s crafters come together to knit little hats for innocent smoothie bottles. For every behatted smoothie sold, Age UK receives 30p, providing crucial support to older people both nationally and locally to help them live well.

 The money raised will help Age UK WSBH continue to provide older people with vital information, advice, and friendship. It will also help the charity to fund its helpline, where it answers a call from someone every 4 minutes. Some callers are in crisis - living in poverty, lonely or bereaved. The money raised from the Big Knit is likely to help the charity answer over 1,700 of these calls.

 Since it began in 2003, the Big Knit campaign has raised an incredible £3.6 million for Age UK. The 2026-28 campaign aims to knit 1.5 million little hats, with the smoothies hitting shelves in early 2028.

 Jo Clarke, Deputy CEO at Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove said: “Last campaign we knitted a fantastic 20,000 hats, raising over £6,000 to help older people in our local area. We’re now calling on people locally to get those needles clicking again, to help us make this year another huge success. With winter on the way, older people are particularly vulnerable, and they need us more than ever. Helping to knit these little hats can make a big difference to older people in our community.”

Sarah De La Mare, Head of Marketing UK&I at innocent drinks, said: "The Big Knit is an amazing campaign that inspires people throughout the country to knit and crochet little hats, and gives shoppers a simple way to support a cause that truly matters. We are so excited that The Big Knit is back, and we will be continuing our long-standing partnership with Age UK to help to help older people live well."

Crafters have until 1st October 2027 to send in their hats, so there's plenty of time to get involved. For those looking for some inspiration, there are plenty of exciting hat designs to choose from, including patterns for fruit and veg inspired creations such as an aubergine, carrot and peas in a pod.

For more information on the Big Knit visit: The Big Knit Page - https://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/big-knit - or contact Age UK WSBH on 0800 019 1310. Hats can be dropped off at any of the Age UK WSBH centres (details on the web page above), or collection can be arranged for bigger hat donations.