Find out more about the Girvan crochet group working together to brighten up the town

Every Tuesday the Girvan crochet group meets at The New Cafe Royale on Dalrymple Street to chat and create. Each week they work on various community projects designed to add a bit of colour and cheer to the town. One of their ongoing ventures is themed post box toppers that celebrate seasonal events and special occasions including Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Burns Night.

The idea of post box toppers came from Rosemarie Speedie who was inspired to start them during lockdown, thinking they would bring a smile to the people of Girvan at a difficult time. She was right, and although lockdown is long past, the smiles keep coming and not just from locals, visitors to the town are often seen admiring and photographing the intricate artworks too.

Around the same time Rosemarie was putting together the toppers, Sandra Mulligan started the Girvan crochet group as a way for local crafters to socialise and improve their skills. When Rosemarie joined, one of the other group members indicated she would love to make a post box topper too, and soon after, the whole group worked together on their first topper to celebrate Christmas. It has been a joint effort ever since.

Today there are 15 members in the group which welcomes crocheters of all levels, including beginners. Not only do they pull their various talents together to produce vibrant and imaginative street decorations, they also work on local charity projects. They are currently making blankets for the Ayrshire Hospice and regularly put together eye-catching toppers for the Girvan RNLI collection box.

Their next post box topper is currently underway. It will celebrate the arrival of spring, and with some new crochet surprises planned for Girvan’s high street this year, we’re sure their community artwork will continue to bring many more smiles in the future.