TEA flowed like water at the Wednesday Craft Group’s (WCG) annual Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser, held recently at Hawks Nest Community Hall.
The WCG’s crafty ladies choose to focus their fundraising and donations on supporting several local community service groups.
The recipients for 2026 were the Pindimar/Tea Gardens Rural Fire Service brigade, Stroud SES Unit, the local Free Clinic Bus, and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.
“Each received a donation of $750, for a total of $3000,” WCG’s Marjory Taylor said.
“This money was raised by having two raffles – Mother’s Day and Christmas, a trading table within the group once a month, and our local community has generously supported our raffles.”
The WCG’s Biggest Morning Tea for 2026 raised $2000 for Cancer Research. Around 80 attendees packed the hall, enjoying home-made sandwiches, cakes and desserts, and, of course, the odd cup of tea.
“Throughout the year our ladies do hand-knitted clothes for premature babies, crochet and patchwork baby blankets for NICU John Hunter Hospital, and these are delivered to the unit every few months,” Ms Taylor said.
“The Salvation Army Christmas Toy Appeal also benefits each year.”
The hall was decked out with hand-made bunting made in yellow and blue, the theme colours of the Biggest Morning Tea movement. The WCG ladies crafted the bunting, as were the door prize bags. The contents of these were donated by local businesses or the ladies themselves.
“These funds will go towards the badly needed brigade station upgrades, which are finally getting under way,” Training Officer Maurie Leembruggen said at the event.
“Your fundraising has helped us to buy this much-needed cordless Milwaukee metal shear, which will come in very handy at motor vehicle accident rescues, among other incidents,” said Stroud SES Deputy Commander Greg Snape.
Jan Peeters received the donation on behalf of the Free Clinic Bus, a local service that several in the room have made use of in getting to and from medical services in Newcastle or Maitland.
Hawks Nest Tea Gardens Wednesday Craft Group started more than 40 years ago as a small group of women meeting together to share their skills and knowledge of craft.
By Thomas O’KEEFE
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