“I have never seen so many grown men cry.”
Those are the words of Lisa Birkett, founder of Quilts For The Longest Day, describing how veterans react when they receive a handmade quilt created especially for them.
Each is designed especially for its recipient, and each carries a simple message: someone took the time to make this for you.
Now some of those quilts, and the stories behind them, are on display at Wentworth Woodhouse. Among them is a quilt belonging to former paratrooper Ben Parkinson MBE, who was severely wounded in Afghanistan and is now a patron of the group.
Lisa started the project in 2023 with a plan to make 80 quilts for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Volunteers made 108. They enjoyed working together so much that they kept going, and have now created 239 quilts, with 217 gifted to veterans.
The exhibition also tells the story of Navy veteran Dean Nightingale, whose quilt features the stripes of the South Atlantic Medal he received for his service during the Falklands conflict.
Materials for each quilt can cost around £70, and volunteers spend the equivalent of a week making it. A £5,000 Veterans’ Foundation® grant, awarded in January 2025, has helped the group continue its work.
Around 30 veterans are currently waiting for a quilt. Lisa hopes the exhibition will inspire more people to get involved and help give each of them that moment of being recognised.
Quilts For The Longest Day: A Sewing Group’s Accidental Journey is on display in Wentworth Woodhouse’s Community Exhibitions Space, S Yorks, until 14 November.
