A GIRL from Prestatyn has reached her target of donating 100 blankets made out of crisp packets to support homeless people in North Wales, and is prepared to continue making even more of them.
Alyssa Dean, 11, donated 20 survival blankets, each comprised of 44 crisp packets, earlier this week, with 10 given to both the Hope Restored and Digartref Cyf charities in Llandudno and Holyhead respectively.
This followed an offering of 80 blankets, 40 each to Denbighshire County Council’s office at Russell House in Rhyl and Rhyl Corps’ Salvation Army base, in December.
The blankets formed part of a care package, which also included items such as a hat, socks, gloves, biscuits, toothpaste, a toothbrush, chocolates, and shampoo.
The idea of a crisp packet blanket stemmed from ‘The Crisp Packet Project’, which began in England in 2019 and has since seen a sub-group in Prestatyn and Rhyl set up.
Alyssa’s mother, Darlene, helped her create the blankets, while she also received donations of jackets from her work, who also ran a raffle to raise funds for the project, and Alyssa’s auntie helped sew bags together.
Darlene said: “They went down really well. We did 10 each for now (to Hope Restored and Digartref Cyf), but she still wants to carry on doing it.
“Someone from Holyhead sent her a box of crisp packets addressed to her school (Ysgol Glan Clwyd), with £20 in it to purchase the other stuff for her care packages, and they sent a letter to her headteacher saying she was doing an amazing job.
“Kelly from Digartref Cyf told her: ‘You are an earth angel!’
“I’m really proud of her because I don’t think people will do this sort of thing, especially at her age.
“But she’s just trying to encourage younger ones like her, even just to donate crisp packets. And if anyone wants to learn how to make them, they can just look at the tutorial on her Facebook, or she can help with an illustration.
“She’s not doing it for the publicity, she just wants to inspire everyone, but if she’s seen doing it, then people might do it, too.”
Brenda Fogg, founder of Hope Restored, added her appreciation of the donation of 10 crisp packet blankets to her charity.
Brenda said: “I said to her: ‘You’ll have to come and do your work experience here’, and she said: ‘I’m only 11!’ I showed her around what we do and gave her some of our leaflets. She’s lovely.”
“I think it’s brilliant for anybody that does need them. It’s very well thought out.”
Having already raised thousands through taking part in various pageants, this is the latest in a series of charitable projects that Alyssa, who is International Junior Miss North Wales Pre-Teen 2021, has been a part of.
Alyssa, who was also chosen as Prestatyn Carnival Queen in 2020, makes the survival blankets by cleaning the crisp packets before ironing them to make them stick together.
Alyssa has her own Facebook page, including a video tutorial on how to make the crisp packet blankets, at: www.facebook.com/International-Junior-Miss-Miss-North-Wales-Pre-Teen-202122-Alyssa-112979341168234.
For more on the Crisp Packet Project Prestatyn & Rhyl, visit: www.facebook.com/CPPPrestatynandRhyl.
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