“The People’s Friend” is taking a colourful yarn-bombed bus to the streets — and we’re calling on all our readers to help adorn it with their own knitting!

In partnership with Re-engage, a charity that is committed to fighting loneliness, our colourful knitted bus will hit the streets in September 2020, delivering a warm dose of friendship to everyone who sees it.

But before the bus hits the streets, we want the knitters of the UK to send in a triangle of bunting to add to the bus. It’s our collective message to people of the UK to show we’re thinking about them.

We’ve been working with national public transport provider, Stagecoach and crochet designer and urban knitter, Emma Leith to make sure the bus’s design will embrace the trend of yarn bombing.

It will feature friendly crocheted faces, delightful pom-poms, brightly coloured squares and rows of bunting submitted by the public.

In addition, the bus will be delivering free copies of the “Friend” to selected locations.

Contributing to Close-knit Friends

Download either a knitting or crochet pattern to create your own triangle of bunting from the links below.

We can’t wait to see all your colourful work!

Send your knitted donations to:

The People’s Friend
White Cottage
Devizes Road
Box
Wiltshire
SN13 8DY

We must receive all donations by September 12.

For any non-knitters looking to show their support, we’re also raising funds for Re-engage’s new telephone befriending service “Call Companions”, which was launched in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

It offers free, regular calls to ensure those most vulnerable to isolation remain connected to the outside world.

“The People’s Friend” Yarn-Bombed Bus will be on tour in September 2020.

To donate to Reengage, please visit www.reengage.org.uk/donate.

To download the Close-knit Friends knitting or crochet pattern for the triangle bunting, click the links below.

Knitting Pattern
Crochet Pattern