Bay of Plenty babies in need will be warmer this winter following the wool-bound efforts of five Tauranga women.

Tauranga BNZ associate Jan Coley this week handed over more than 200 pieces of hand-knitted baby clothing to Plunket Tauranga.

Plunket commercial services leader Katherine Lawrence with the knitters and their donations.

Jan, along with sisters Karen Walker and Lorraine Finlay and friends Cherie Folster and Hilda Ball, has been knitting baby booties, vests and hats since September last year.

'We decided we would like to help those children less fortunate than our own children/grandchildren and commenced knitting,” says Jan.

'One of the ladies involved is the mother-in-law of one of our senior members, who had all this wool sitting around and was rapt to see it used up. Her daughter didn't want to inherit it.”

Jan says they choose Plunket Tauranga because of the organisation's community work supporting young families and offering parenting advice.

The organisation is also the major sponsorship recipient for BNZ.

'They were overwhelmed with how much knitting was there, and Katherine [from Plunket] said there is such a huge need for it.

'They only had a phone call from Tauranga Hospital on Wednesday needing clothes for a baby. It's unbelievable.”

The knitting will be given out to families in need throughout Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty.

Jan says the project has opened her eyes to the extent families are struggling in the region.

'There's a real need around Tauranga itself, and I didn't know the size of it. It's quite sad.”

The group has thoroughly enjoyed knitting and plan on continuing with a new set of garments through this winter.

The women are appealing for donations of wool to help their project. Anyone with surplus double knitting or 4 ply wool/acrylic wool can drop it into BNZ stores in Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Papamoa, Katikati or Te Puke.