When six parish ladies set aside their Monday mornings for crafting, conversation and cake, they could not have known what the future would hold. What started as a casual gathering gradually grew in momentum and purpose, impacting lives well beyond their small circle. 

That was 25 years ago in the cottage behind St Patrick’s Church, Swansea. They call themselves the ‘Crafty Ladies’. And for a quarter of a century, their Mondays have quietly shaped parish life and had far-reaching impact beyond those cottage walls. 

Maintaining a connection like this for 25 years is a beautiful celebration of friendship – connected through faith. Founding member Gay Worthing says, “It is our close friendship and our mutual interests that have sustained us for all this time.” 

With nimble hands and careful attention, the Crafty Ladies stitched, crocheted, and crafted items to sell in the church, helping fund altar cloths, baptismal bibs, candles, screens, microphones, and countless other parish needs. Small things, perhaps. But essential ones. 

Mother’s Day and Christmas stalls followed. Then raffles. Then morning teas and lunches. With each event, the circle widened, and their community impact grew. 

After the loss of a founding member to breast cancer, the Crafty Ladies turned sadness into action. A Pink Day event was created in her honour, with proceeds donated to breast cancer research. From this event, themed fundraising lunches were born. Every shared meal and every gathering became an act of remembrance and generosity. 

When COVID-19 brought the lunches to an end, the giving did not stop. With the support of Sister Mary and Sister Frances, crochet and knitted rugs, scarves and beanies were sent to flood victims in Lismore. Christmas gifts reached children in Coraki. Blankets were delivered to Rappville after devastating fires. Eighty handbags filled with toiletries were donated to the women of Wardell for Mother’s Day. After floods in Taree, more blankets and clothing followed. 

Closer to home, more than 50 tote bags of toiletries have been given to women’s shelters, and countless beanies, booties and blankets have made their way to the neonatal ward at John Hunter Hospital.

The old cottage where it all began is now long gone, some members have moved away, and some have passed on. A lot has changed over 25 years. 

But Monday mornings remain. 

Around sixteen women now gather every Monday – now in the School Hall. They still fundraise. They still craft. They still share conversation and laughter for a cause. 

And yes, the cake still matters.  

“We like all cakes, and we have some outstanding cooks in the group,” says Gay. 

“But it’s Daveen’s gingerbread cake that tops the list, followed closely by carrot cake!” 

The tools may be simple, and the setting may have changed. But the impact is undeniable. Because this was never just about craft and cake. It was about a group of friends sharing their faith, showing up week after week, year after year. And quietly, faithfully, making a difference.