MEMORY groups are set to benefit from an off-the-cuff idea which raised hundreds of pounds.

Pom-pom angels created by a community craft group led by members of Tutshill Women’s Institute have proved a huge hit.

Profits from the initiative – which are expected to be around £800 – will go to groups that run memory cafes and similar projects in the area.

Among the groups likely to benefit are Sedbury Space, Woolaston Memory Cafe and Singing for Fun at Chepstow Methodist Church.

The initial idea was to create pom-poms to hang on a memory tree created by the WI at the bus shelter near the playing field on Coleford Road.

But then WI member Carol Archer had the idea to ‘upgrade’ the pom-poms to angels, and it quickly found an audience.

Tutshill WI treasurer Beryl Metcalfe said: “The original idea was that we would make pom-poms and hang them on the tree and then Carol comes along and says look what I’ve done with your pompoms – and it took off from there.

“It started as selling a pom-pom for 50p, but it turned into selling angels for £2.

“We have 40 members in WI and I said I’d like to sell 100 if not more – we’ve now sold 500 angels which is £1,000,

“A big proportion of that is proceeds which will go to memory cafes in the area.

“Overwhelmed doesn’t begin to describe it.

“We can’t believe that an idea of a pompom to hang on a memory tree has turned into sales of 500 angels.”

Many of the angels were made at the Thursday community craft group which is held at the Toast cafe in Coleford Road – but members were soon making them in any spare moments to keep up with demand.

Beryl said: “We just can’t believe how it took off – people have posted them around the world.

“Memory illnesses affect so many families and it’s wonderful you have places in the community where you can take people with dementia and they can feel comfortable,” she added.

Plans are already underway for a similar project for next Christmas.