Kind-hearted seamstresses held a sewing bee in Ipswich to make pouches for animals left struggling to survive due to the Australia bushfire crisis.

The group based themselves and their sewing machines at the Golden Hind pub in Ipswich where they produced more than 150 pouches for a range of animals in need, from pygmy possums to kangaroos.

The bushfires have taken an enormous toll on wildlife, with more than a billion animals said to have perished.

Kathy Grainger, from Felixestowe, who helped organise the event on January 16, said: "We wanted to help out. Everybody is animal lovers. It's quite horrendous what's happening with the animals there and what has happened. It's very sad. That's why we decided to do it."

Generous donations of cotton fabrics, including from the John Lewis store in Ipswich, meant the team of volunteers had more than enough material to create the pouches.

Mrs Grainger added: "We had a good production line going. In fact, I'm doing some today [Sunday] as well."

Ryan Scott, who runs the Golden Hind pub with his partner Darren Scott, said: "I just thought it was so fantastic and from that they are doing a sewing club [at the pub] once a month."

He said him and his partner had taken over the pub a couple of months ago, but had managed to "massively turn the place around".

"It's about getting some community events in and bringing the community back together," he said.

Anyone who wants to get involved with Mrs Grainger's sewing club should email her.