SuperJam on Sky News worldwide!

The SuperJam story was featured all around the world on Sky News this week, as a feature on 'the stories of 2008'.

You can watch the video on the Sky News website here.

It has certainly been an amazing year for SuperJam and, judging by the hundreds of emails from all around the world that have come flooding in after this feature, next year is going to be just as busy...

Tea Cosy of The Week....

We've had a few great tea parties recently in Edinburgh and elsewhere, thanks for everyone who came along and made them so much fun!

Folks are still very kindly sending in hand-knitted squares for October's 'knitathon'.  

We now have well over a thousand squares, which are currently being sewn together to make blankets for the Gwalior Children's orphanage in India, which is a wonderful charity that provides education, healthcare and love to disabled orphans.  You can 'sponsor a square' online and donate some much-needed funds to the charity.

This week's 'Tea Cosy of The Week' is a very classic floral number, kindly sent in by one of the local Edinburgh CSV-RSVP volunteer knitters.

Please do feel free to send in a knitted tea cosy for use at our increasing number of tea parties all over the country - if it's a nice one, we'll write a wee story on the blog about it..  fame awaits..

Apparently, i'm 'Scotland's Top Young Innovator', lovely!

As reported in the press today, at an awards ceremony in Glasgow last night, I was awarded one of the 'John Logie Baird Awards'.  This was after competing in regional and Scotland-wide judging panels, which involved being asked questions by the leading minds in innovation in Scotland.

John Logie Baird is famous as the Scottish inventor of the first working television.  Although his version of television is not the same as the type used today, he led the way in the development of what later became one of the most influential technologies of all time.  He was a prolific inventor, with creations such as thermal under socks, 'rust-proof' glass razor blades and pneumatic shoes, all of which saw limited success, before creating television.

He even once shorted out Glasgow's electricity supply, trying to produce diamonds!

The John Logie Baird awards were created in his name and I am very proud to have been given one.  It is really great for the innovative nature of SuperJam to be celebrated in this way.  

There were many wonderful inventions on show last night, including the Walkodile, which helps keep groups of children together when taking them for a walk, in a fun way.

Given all of the doom and gloom in the media, it is great to see innovation being celebrated in this way.  Arguably the best way for Scotland to get out of the current economic problem and compete globally in the coming years is to invest in the creation of new technologies and the products of the future.   Scotland has a long list of successful inventions from past years and hopefully we can be as inventive in the future.  

The John Logie Baird Awards go some way to encouraging me that we can!

'I am an Orange 'I am' advert'..

You may have noticed in some of this weeks' newspapers that Orange are running an advert that focuses on my story and the people who made it possible.  

I'm a big fan of their 'I am' adverts and you may have seen the one on TV that features Mark Beaumont, a fellow Scot who cycled all the way 'round the world in the fastest time ever.

As the ad says, I am who I am because of everyone.  So, thanks for doing your bit in making me who I am!

Everyone was in stitches..

Last month, as part of our 100 SuperJam Tea Parties all over Scotland, England and Wales, we organised a massive 'knitathon'.

Everyone who came along was invited to knit a square, with all of the squares eventually getting sewn together to make blankets for an orphanage for disabled children in Central India.

We have been overwhelmed and touched by the number of people who have rallied behind the cause.  We have received literally thousands of squares, hats, gloves, jumpers and a few other bits and bobs that people have knitted to be sent over to the kids.

It has taken hundreds of man hours to stitch the squares together and my friend Fiona, who is a volunteer for the orphanage, has been leading the effort.

We thought it would be a nice idea for folks to 'sponsor a square', by donating £1 for each of the squares that have been sent in.  That way, the kids can also get much needed clothes, books and medical care.  You can donate a couple of quid online here - all funds go straight to the orphanage.

On behalf of the orphanage and the kids, thank you so much to everyone who has taken part in this, it has been really wonderful!