The knitting sessions run twice a week in UCLan’s city centre shop

The sound of knitting needles is echoing through a city shopping centre twice a week thanks to a new university initiative.

Volunteers are using wool to bring science to life for schoolchildren across Preston.

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The University of Central Lancashire’s Shop in the St George’s Shopping Centre has been host to free knitting sessions.

Lungs, hearts, kidneys, liver and brains have been knitted by the group to be used in schools across the city to teach them about the body and healthy living.

Olive Appleby and Pat Morris from Penwortham have been attending the classes since they began.

Pat said: “I get some very funny looks when people ask where I’m going and I say I’m off to knit body parts. It’s very different but good fun and it’s our way of helping out the children.

“Usually me and my mum knit items for the premature baby units in Preston and Lancaster, plus we send lots of items overseas to Africa, so this is just a different way of helping the local community.”

Enid Bosworth, Pat Morris and Olive Appleby with their handiwork

Great great grandmother Olive has created six body parts so far and is enjoying following the unusual knitting patterns.

She said: “I’m just knitting whatever I’m asked to do, I don’t know what most of the organs do so it’s nice that we can find out a bit about what each part does. It’s lovely to meet new people and I’m learning how to crochet too which is great.”

Fellow knitter Enid Bosworth, from Ribbleton, said: “It’s the novelty of knitting body parts that makes this different. I thought it was very interesting that the bodies will be used to teach young children and that’s what attracted me to help out with the project.”

Related: University to open a shop in Preston city centre

UCLan’s Dr Liz Granger worked with local artist Caroline Finnigan to ensure the woolly body parts were accurate in their size.

Dr Granger said: “This project is about getting young primary school children to learn about the body and healthy living in a fun and interactive way.

“There are lots of children who already come along to activities in the YSC but I’m always being asked by teachers to do something for the under sevens. These knitted bodies will enable academics to go out to schools and allow the children to learn while playing with the completed bodies.”

Anyone who would like to get involved with the project can visit UCLan’s In The City shop, in the Lune Street entrance to the St George’s Shopping Centre, on Mondays between 1.30pm and 3.30pm and Thursdays between 1.00pm and 3.00pm.

Have you been along to the sessions? Let us know in the comments below