CHILDREN at a Lyme Regis school have received hand-knitted chickens for Easter, courtesy of a local social group for older people.

St Michael’s Primary School in Lyme Regis have been given the handcrafted gifts from members of the local University of the Third Age (U3A).

Prior to the the coronavirus pandemic, a dedicated group of U3A knitters created a knitting club for the school's pupils.

Each week the children, alongside their adopted knitter, learnt the basics of casting on, knitting and counting stitches. The initiative was a great success, bringing together different generations of the community with a shared interest.

However, due to partial school closures during the pandemic, this club was put on pause in March 2020.

During the autumn of 2021, the U3A approached the school again, asking if they could undertake a project which would result in every child receiving a personal gift to let them know they were thinking of their budding knitters.

The group, made up of 27 knitters and led by Rachael Pope, created 123 chickens, each designed to sit on an egg – in this case a chocolate Cream Egg for Easter.

Each child and adult at St Michael’s received a chicken along with its egg.