Meirionnydd women moved by heart-breaking images of devastating fires in Australia have pledged to use their crafting skills to help the country’s wildlife.

Lesley Adams of Llandanwg is just one of many who have joined a worldwide project to handmake emergency items for animals in Australia.

UK Crafters for Australia created a Facebook page on 4 January, and it currently has over 24,000 members.

Hoping to offer assistance, Lesley searched for a local group and found UK Crafters for Australia Animal Rescue effort - mid and west Wales.

This group was set up on 10 January and membership currently stands at 354.

The community of UK-based crafters have chosen to join the global movement by knitting, sewing, or crocheting emergency items, particularly pouches for baby kangaroos.

The overwhelming response from the craft community means the project will be temporarily paused after 25 January so a global stock-take can be carried out.

Lesley, 63, told the Cambrian News: “I found out about it in an article in The Times. Then I looked on Facebook and saw that there was this coming together of people.

“Crafters right across the country wanted to do something, so they set the group up and it’s been quite popular.

“It’s quite the movement really, considering it’s happened in quite a short space of time.

“But I think they are encouraging people now to also have coffee mornings and to fundraise, because they need money for veterinary services.”

Lesley has also been leading Harlech WI’s involvement.

“I mentioned it at the Women’s Institute and a lot of people said they wanted to get involved,” she said.

“So I got some patterns off the website. When people have all their work then we can send it off to a local hub.

“We can combine skills as well. If there are some knitters of liners in the Women’s Institute, they can come together.

“We can see the devastation on the internet and the television and I though the Women’s Institute could get involved as they are ideally placed.

“It was a case of getting it quickly to the area of need. The crafting talents of Harlech Women’s Institute members has provided the opportunity for us to work together collaboratively for this worthwhile cause.”

There are many drop-off points across Wales, including the Vape Shop in Barmouth and Knit One in Dolgellau, where items can be left.

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