Seventeen Suffolk women unite to create communal quilt for church fundraiser

A group effort led by Pamela Shephard produced a king-size quilt made from 1,575 hexagons over 18 months to raise money for covered seating at St Mary's Church in Nettlestead. The quilt will be raffled, with the draw set for March 28, 2026 and ticket sales closing on March 18.

A finished king-size quilt made by local women is being used to raise funds for St Mary's Church in Nettlestead. The project began in October 2024 and ran with weekly meetings over 18 months. Pamela Shephard, an 83-year-old Offton resident and church warden, designed and coordinated the effort. The work brought together women from Nettlestead and neighbouring villages to complete the quilt. Project details: - The article reports that seventeen women took part in the communal quilt project. - Pamela Shephard, aged 83, initiated the idea to raise money for covered seating at St Mary's Church and acted as designer and coordinator. - The quilt was assembled from 1,575 paper and fabric hexagons and is described as king-size. - Raffle tickets are on sale at Somersham Community Shop, The Duke of Marlborough in Somersham, and The Limeburners Pub in Offton, and can be requested by emailing p.m.shephard@icloud.com. - Each ticket is priced at £2, the closing date for submissions is March 18, and the raffle draw is scheduled for March 28, 2026 at 2pm at St Mary's Church, Nettlestead; the event will include music and light refreshments. Summary: The quilt project combined local creativity and sustained volunteer time to support improvements at a parish church. The immediate next step reported is the raffle draw on March 28, 2026, with ticket sales closing on March 18.