Thetford Community Contributions

For an introduction to the quilt project click HERE.



Norfolk County Council Adult Education Service would like to acknowledge the contributions made by the following individuals and groups to the success of our (growing) quilt:

• Our tutors, Pippa, Patrycja, for their enthusiasm, professionalism, open-mindedness and dedication. We couldn't have done this without you!
• To all the individuals who have contributed squares for the quilt - you know who you are.
• Keystone Development Trust for their advice, support and practical help in distributing leaflets to every household on the Abbey estate and beyond.
• Community Spirit Cafe staff for sorting out refreshments on the day of the launch.
• In particular, thanks go to Fiona, Terry, Brenda and Ricky from the Abbey Neighbourhood Centre.
• The members of the Thetford Women's Institute who are busy working on the centre square of the quilt.
• John Weeks who did a fantastic job of coordinating the Tom Paine 200 Celebrations
• Colleagues at Thetford Library who distributed leaflets and offered advice - in particular, thanks must go to Kyra Cruise for her active support and encouragement.
• Janet Smith-Gibbons of the Thetford Twinning Association for coordinating with the Twin Towns.
• The citizens of the Twin Towns - Hürth, Les Ulis, Spijkenisse and Skawina - for contributing their wonderful corner squares.
• Melissa Hawker and other staff at the Thetford Ancient House Museum for invaluable advice and support. Thanks also for allowing us to be part of your forthcoming 'Gorgeously Georgian' event. It is great to be working in partnership with Cultural Services colleagues.
• META for translating our leaflets.
• Robert Ogden, Extended Schools Coordinator for Thetford schools, for organising distribution of our leaflets via children's school bags to over a thousand households.
• Staff and volunteers at the Thetford Art Centre for allowing us to be part of your 'Upstairs Comes Down Again' event in August.
• Thetford Children's Centre, Kingsway for distributing leaflets on our behalf.
• All the cafes, shops and individuals who agreed to take leaflets and spread the word about our quilt project.
• Anyone else who has helped and/or contributed. Apologies if we have omitted to mention you by name.

As we stated in the introduction to this blog - and I quote -: "A quilt, like any community, is made of lots of different contributions which, together, form a greater whole."

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The Twin Town Squares

To find out about Thetford's Thomas Paine Quilt project, click HERE.

Thomas Paine declared himself to be a 'citizen of the world', and in this spirit of international openess the corner squares of our finished quilt will be designed and made by people from the four towns twinned with Thetford.

At this point in time, we already have two of the completed squares, which we think you will agree, look fantastic.

The town of Les Ulis in France is a 'New Town' with links to Thetford going back to 1966.

The town of Skawina in Poland has been twinned with Thetford since 2004.

To find out more about these places click on the town names (above), and this will take you to information pages from the Thetford Twinning Association (TTA) website. To find the TTA website homepage click HERE.

Click on the following to return to the homepage of this blog -> TTPFQ

Examples of squares

Here are some examples of the squares produced by the people of Thetford...

For an introduction to this project click HERE

The Quilt Begins To Grow - June 6th Launch

To read an introduction to this project, click here -> Thomas Paine Quilt


On Saturday June 6th, 2009, we launched the Thomas Paine Friendship Quilt. As part of the wider 'Tom Paine 200 Celebrations' taking part in Thetford, people were invited to come into Tanner House and create their own squares for the quilt.

It was wonderful to see adults completely absorbed in creative activity...

As you can see people had the opportunity to paint their squares, as well as to sew. We broke with tradition a bit here, because some people are more comfortable painting.

Meanwhile, as the adults played some of our younger learners were working with the Family Learning team doing various craft activities...

Whilst all this activity was going on inside, Marilyn, our history tutor, was outside talking to passers-by about quilt making traditions...

From the feedback we received people felt it was a fantastic experience - and what's more, we now have some completed squares. The quilt begins to grow!

Introducing The Quilt Project...

"As it is my design to make those that can scarcely read understand, I shall therefore avoid every literary ornament and put it in language as plain as the alphabet."

So wrote Thetford's most famous citizen, Thomas Paine. This idea of making ideas understandable and accessible to all is very much what we in Norfolk County Council Adult Education Service are all about.

It is 200 years since the death of Thomas Paine. As part of the town's 'Tom Paine 200 Celebrations', Norfolk Adult Education are working with the people of Thetford to create a friendship quilt. In the spirit of Paine we wanted to mark his passing with something which puts power into people's hands. A quilt is an ideal way of bringing people together (that's the 'friendship' part!). A quilt, like any community, is made of lots of different contributions which, together, form a greater whole.

This blog will showcase the progress of the quilt as it grows, and will also give a bit of background information about Thomas Paine and the tradition of quilt making.

If you are interested in finding out more about this project, please email Colin Howey on colin.howey@norfolk.gov.uk

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