Monday morning is the usual time that Jeanette Hastie and her friend Muriel McFarlane get together with a group of nearly 20 knitters at Bob Owens Retirement Village.

The pair are founding members of the knitting group, which has been running for 10 years.

'On Tuesday morning I take a group in the rest home as well,” says Jeanette.

Now they are part of a mammoth trans-Tasman bear-making mission to help the children of Ukraine. They'd love the Western Bay of Plenty community to join in with knitting a ‘Yuri Bear' to contribute to the cause.

Aiming for 20,000

The Bob Owens Retirement Village is one of 45 Ryman Healthcare villages participating in making 20,000 knitted teddy bears for some of the five million children displaced or stranded at the Ukrainian-Polish border since Ukraine was invaded by Russia.

Some of the Yuri Bears ready to go to Ukraine children. Photo: Bob Tulloch.

Every resident at Ryman's 45 villages and the company's offices in Christchurch, Auckland and Melbourne has been challenged to contribute a bear by the end of this month to the trans-Tasman Ryman Healthcare Yuri Bear project.

'They wanted the bears in Christchurch by the first of September but it's being extended until the end of September,” says Jeanette.

The Bob Owens knitters have been knitting for the last five weeks, with more than 50 Yuri bears made and more to come.

'We've got about 14 regular people in our knitting group. But there's a few extras who have been knitting them in the village too. One lady has knitted nine,” says Jeanette.

'There's one lady there, a 100-year-old – Ruth Hawthorn – who has knitted two teddy bears, would you believe,” says Muriel. 'She did all the knitting and I think her daughter Gaylene Johnson helps stitch them up.

All directions

'We're getting teddy bears from all directions, we could end up getting 100 by the time we've finished. There's been a lot of interest, people are quite keen,' says Muriel.

Robyn Nicholson, the activities coordinator at Bob Owens, initially put the Ryman's project to the group.

'It's a good activity. People in the care centre have time and you can put it down and pick it up,” says Muriel.

Bob Owens Retirement Village activities coordinator Robyn Nicholson. Photo: Bob Tulloch. Photo: Bob Tulloch.

The knitting group began a decade ago with seven knitters, thanks to a previous village activities coordinator. 'We first started knitting strips for Operation Cover Up,” says Jeanette.

Operation Cover Up has been sending blankets and clothes to families in Eastern Europe as winter can get as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius.

'Muriel does all the crocheting around the blankets.”

Ryman's Victorian Sales and Community Relations manager Debra Richardson says the project was a tangible way Ryman residents, team members and the wider community could make a small difference to the lives of the youngest members of the war-torn country.

'Being so far away it can be difficult to know how we can help,” says Debra.

'Thousands of Ryman village residents are avid knitters, and this project empowers them to use a skill that they are experts at to send a symbol of love from afar.”

The project is a labour of love for Debra, whose former foster son Yuri remains in Ukraine.

Debra and her family fostered Yuri in Melbourne following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the 1980s.

'He has made the decision to stay and fight for his country and his family have been evacuated to safety,” says Debra.

'The project emerged from my discussions with Yuri about how we could provide support from Australia and New Zealand.

'When I first shared the idea with Yuri he said: ‘Ukraine is stronger with your help, empathy, and love. A million thanks to the millions of people who care'.”

While Debra's contact with Yuri has become sporadic as the war rages on and concern grows that his messages could be monitored, the Yuri Bear project is giving Debra a sense of connection to the man she cared for as a child.

'It is easy to feel totally helpless to what is going on, but small gestures like a handmade bear for a child who has lost almost everything can make a meaningful difference,” says Debra.

Muriel McFarlane and Jeanette Hastie with Yuri Bears knitted by the Bob Owens Retirement Village knitting group. Photo: Bob Tulloch.

The knitters at Bob Owens have made about 50 Yuri bears so far with plenty more in the wings. And they'd love it if people from the Tauranga and wider community joined them in knitting the teddy bears.

Knitters are given a simple teddy bear pattern, instructions and some creative suggestions to follow. To download the Yuri Bear pattern and instructions click here.

'So, even if you're a novice knitter it will be very easy to craft,” says Debra.

'Many children have had to evacuate without their parents, with little or no time to pack their belongings. Being so far away it's difficult to know how to help, but even the smallest gestures can make a huge difference.

'The Yuri bear initiative is our way of sending a symbol of love from afar to the Ukrainian children – we'd love your help to bring this to life.”

Ryman was founded in 1984 and has become one of New Zealand's largest listed companies. The company owns and operates 45 retirement villages in New Zealand and Australia which are home to more than 13,200 residents and the company employs 6700 team members.

Not all of those residents and team members are knitters.

'We've set ourselves a target to create 20,000 Yuri Bears. Therefore, even if you don't knit, you'll likely know someone who does. So, please help to donate at least one bear from you, a family member, or a friend. This way, we can bring smiles to the faces of as many Ukrainian children as we can,” says Debra.

Alternatively, people may wish to donate yarn or toy stuffing instead.

From now until the end of September, needles will be click-clacking across both countries, with speedy knitters already sparking a healthy dose of trans-Tasman competition.

The target deadline is the end of September and the Yuri teddy bears will be despatched to Ukraine after that.

Bob Owens Retirement Village activities coordinator Robyn Nicholson. Photo: Bob Tulloch.

There are also a series of five instructional videos available with Debra demonstrating how to make the bears.

The first video 'Starting your first Yuri bear' can be viewed by clicking here

For the four other instructional videos ‘Joining the head', ‘Sew the sleeves', ‘Sewing up the ends', and ‘Finishing up' click on the individual links or click here for all five videos and patterns.

'Let the children of Ukraine know they're in our hearts and minds by putting some time and love into knitting a Yuri Bear,” says Debra.

To find out more, or to get involved, click here.

The knitters at Bob Owens would love it if the public joined them in knitting the Yuri teddy bears. Easy-to-follow instructions are available. Alternatively, people can donate yarn or toy stuffing.

From now until the end of September, needles will be click-clacking across both countries, with speedy knitters already sparking a healthy dose of trans-Tasman competition.

The target deadline is September's end – Yuri teddy bears will be despatched to Ukraine after that.

A public Yuri bear drop-off point is at Bob Owens Retirement Village, Carmichael Rd, Bethlehem.