Q&A with volunteer Britt
With so many new members joining our club, we are continuing our series where we chat to each of our volunteer board members. Next up is volunteer Britt Collard.
Introduce yourself
Hi I’m Britt, one of the volunteer Board members for Premmie Knitting Club. I’m a self-employed Graphic Designer and Brand Consultant based in Auckland. Outside of running my business, I always have at least one creative project on the go; right now I'm learning to make pasta! I love knitting, especially while watching mindless reality TV, but since the Stitching Together Aotearoa campaign started, ironically my knitting has been on pause. My next big project is renovating our home with my partner, Mark.
Britt’s Mum Sheryl also knits for PKC and is a Peggy square knitting machine!!
What inspired you to get involved with PKC?
My gorgeous late Nana Betty taught me to knit when I was about seven years old. We started with a scarf, then a beanie and booties for my teddy bear. In hindsight I think she undid most of my knitting and redid it while I was sleeping because it was perfectly executed. I can probably only take credit for the pom-pom. Nana was so kind-hearted and generous with her time and love, always helping others around her. Not everyone has the resources to give financially to charities, but sharing kindness and compassion is something we could all do a little more of.
Years ago I went to a General Collective Craft Market and bought one of Natalie Iogha's Kidset knitting kits. I loved the idea of supporting a charity while also getting to (re)learn a skill. This joined my other art and craft supplies in the cupboard of good intentions, until lockdown when I finally had time to work on it. I wished my Nana was still here to help me cast on but after a lot of frustration and pausing YouTube videos, I made my first beanie for a premmie baby. I shared a few pics on Instagram and my friend Penny commented saying PKC was her friend's charity. Penny connected me with Courtney, and the rest is history.
Donating time and creativity to knit items that help the tiniest, most vulnerable babies brings me so much joy. Having a pro-bono client has always been part of my business philosophy too. I love using my spare time and creative skills to generate brand awareness, especially when it’s for a good cause. I started helping PKC by designing a few items for the 2024 merch collection. Classic me, I can’t do anything half-heartedly so I jumped in the deep end and joined the PKC Volunteer Board. This led to a brand evolution and website re-design. I’ve been lucky enough to join Courtney on a few visits to the hospitals we support. Seeing first hand how our donations positively impact families and medical teams, reinforces why we do what we do.
PKC really is the most wholesome charity – how could you ever say no to helping premmie babies?
What does a typical day in your life look like?
I start my day with a morning walk (usually wearing PKC merch) and coffee with my partner. I run my own design studio and work with clients in New Zealand, and around the world. Juggling time zones means I work a long day but have the flexibility to work on PKC around my client projects. I love to squeeze in a lunch-time Pilates class when I can too.
My PKC tasks involve updating the website and blog with new content, creating the visuals for newsletters, and designing branded social media posts. Beyond the campaign, I'm designing pitch presentations for new brand or sponsor collaborations, and crafting resources for schools and workplaces. Sometimes I’m designing items to be printed by our generous sponsor Benefitz. I review our social media and Flodesk analytics that tell us how many new followers and subscribers we have and how many of you are reading our newsletters. The recent growth surpasses our wildest dreams!
Keeping up with the group chat with my work wives (Courtney and Nina) is essentially a full time job at the moment, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. These two women are absolute powerhouses and have taught me so much. I’m in awe of their efficiency, expertise, and productivity, all while juggling their full time jobs and kids. At the peak of the Stitching Together Aotearoa campaign, the group chat involved a sick child in Starship, work travel, high pressure work meetings and deadlines, all while generating thousands of courier labels, and answering hundreds of emails and social media comments daily. Not to mention, Michelle who is receiving hundreds of parcels of knitting per week. She is a sorting machine and controls our HQ. It’s absolutely astounding how much the four of us can achieve each day. We take the time to read all of your heartfelt messages. No matter how busy we are, seeing the community share their involvement in the campaign only drives us to keep working harder.
(Not out usual morning walking route)
What is the most rewarding part of being involved with PKC?
Working in the creative industry, I often get told “oh I wish I was creative too” but I fundamentally believe everyone expresses creativity in their own way. Knowing so many people are swapping their devices for knitting needles (or crochet hooks) is so rewarding. I adore seeing all the colourful creations that are made with so much love, skill and care. What a talented and generous bunch of people are in our club. It’s so inspiring seeing the incredible detailed garments made by our expert knitters, right through to the proud smiles of new knitters getting started with their first squares.
A giant thank you to everyone who has been involved. The power of our collective effort and kindness is my favourite part!
