Selby Salvation Army angels spread hope and joy

Christmas joy is coming to a Selby housing estate as The Salvation Army plays hide and seek with hundreds of knitted angels for people to find and decorate their homes with. 

The angels carry a Bible message from Luke 1:30 saying ‘Do not be afraid’ offering comfort and hope to people who may be struggling this year. 

Knitted in a variety of colours, the angels were made by members of Selby Salvation Army’s Craft and Chatter group and friends of church leaders Captains Wendy and Jeremy Ferguson-Smith. This year they will drop 600 angels for people to find in the week before schools break up for the festive holidays. 

Captain Wendy said: “The Angel Drop started as a nice thing to do during Covid lockdowns when our craft group couldn’t meet in person so they would knit them at home and we’d place them around the estate leaving them on fences, telephone boxes, play areas and trees for people to find. 

“We attached a card with a message on them saying ‘do not be afraid’ from Luke 1:30 with a ‘Happy Christmas from The Salvation Army’. As people face rising costs, struggle with isolation and loneliness, four years later our message remains ‘do not be afraid’. 

“The first year we distributed 200 angels and this year we have about 600. In the last couple of years, our Angel Drop has really taken off with people posting pictures of where they find them on our Facebook page or messaging us to ask when the drop starts. 

“It’s something that brings joy and festive cheer to people on the Abbotts estate and acts as a reminder that The Salvation Army, the Church at the Crossroads, is here for the community.” 

The craft group, which meets every Thursday at The Salvation Army in Parkin Avenue, has grown from three people to around 30 and includes dedicated crafter, Daphne who leads the group and Mandy – also known as Mrs Angel – who has knitted a whopping 400 angels this year. Christine, a friend of the church who lives in Stockport near Manchester, also sent hundreds of knitted angels to Selby.

Daphne said: “We are really grateful to our ladies for their dedication to getting these angels ready. As well as the angels, they recently made items for our Christmas Fayre, which helped raise more than £1,000 for our community. 

“Our group is about the community, bringing people together to work on their own knitting or crafting projects in an environment where they can chat, make friends, enjoy a cuppa in a warm space. They are very supportive of each other and help each other with craft techniques.” 

The Craft and Chatter group uses recycled wool to make its knitted angels, and meets each Thursday at Selby Salvation Army between 10.30am and 12.30pm and is open to everyone. 

Selby Salvation Army runs a number of activities for the community. For more information search for Selby Salvation Army on Facebook or visit the website