The international organisation touring The Longest Yarn – Britain at War and The Longest Yarn – D-Day across the UK has been granted charitable status.
UK charitable status granted to The Longest Yarn
The Longest Yarn – D-Day and The Longest Yarn – Britain at War brings WW11 to life stitch by stitch and were created by volunteers across the UK to tell stories from 1944 through knitting and crochet.
Since May 2024, the exhibitions have toured the UK and the USA, appearing at our cathedrals including Blackburn, Peterborough, Peterborough Minster, Wells and Lichfield, as well as town halls and historic houses.
Volunteers often worked in small groups, combining their own family stories with painstakingly researched historical facts to bring the panels to life. The exhibitions have attracted thousands of visitors.
Founder Tansy Forster, who now lives in Normandy, brought together hundreds of volunteers across the UK to create the panels. After establishing the organisation as a non-profit in France, supported by visitor donations, she is delighted that The Longest Yarn UK is now a registered UK charity.
Tansy said:
“Becoming a registered charity gives The Longest Yarn UK a firm foundation for the future, allowing us to continue bringing stories of the Second World War to life, educating future generations and supporting the veterans’ charities that are so close to our hearts.
‘None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary generosity, talent, hard work and sheer determination of so many people. From those who knit and crochet to those who transport, organise, volunteer, donate or simply turn up to support us, everyone has played a part. We also thank our trustees, who helped us navigate the considerable work involved in gaining charitable status and reaching so many people.”
The award of UK charitable status coincides with an exciting new opportunity for Tansy and her team.
“The two exhibitions have always toured separately, but in May 2027 we have an opportunity to bring them together. To do so, we need a venue capable of hosting 160 panels.
The exhibitions attract thousands of visitors, so the venue must also be able to welcome large numbers of people travelling to see all the panels together. We would be delighted to hear from venues interested in helping us create this memorable, mammoth exhibition, which will in turn support veterans’ charities across the UK.”
Venues interested in taking The Longest Yarn exhibitions, singly or together, should contact Tansy Forster via info@thelongestyarn.com
