Balhousie Care Group backs young people making a difference as it supports Social Bite in its fight against homelessness

Balhousie Care Group is supporting the homelessness cause for the third year in a row as it backs the charity Social Bite in the run-up to Christmas.

The award-winning care home group is helping to raise money throughout its 26 facilities in the north, east and central Scotland as it backs Social Bite’s programme for under 18’s to get involved in the mission to end homelessness. ‘Wee Sleep Out’ is an opportunity for young people to host their own sponsored sleep outs in their schools, youth groups and homes across Scotland.

The collaboration between Balhousie Care Group and Social Bite is unique in that it is the only care home group to be formally partnering in this way. Designated collection buckets have been placed in care homes and Balhousie Care’s head office in Perth as the group engages in a range of fundraisers, from bake sales to Christmas knits to raffles.

Balhousie Care Group has been a corporate sponsor of Social Bite’s Sleep Out for the Cure for the past two years, and one of the charity’s biggest donors. Since Balhousie started supporting Social Bite, the charity has been able to permanently house over 160 people who were in the worst instances of homelessness, and will house 660 more before March 2021. Jill Kerr, Group CEO for Balhousie Care Group, said the partnership “makes perfect sense” because of the company’s unique community links.

“We’re close to the issue of homelessness because each of our care homes has such great links with the community. Each Christmas our care homes open their doors to the lonely and invite them in for Christmas dinner. And our intergenerational projects with local schools means this partnership makes perfect sense for Balhousie Care Group. We’re honoured to be the only care home in the country officially raising awareness around the Wee Sleepouts,” said Jill.

Alice Thompson, Social Bite’s co-founder and director of Wee Sleep Out, said: “Social Bite’s Wee Sleep Out is delighted to have the support of Balhousie Care Group. It is particularly incredible to see Balhousie Care encouraging intergenerational collaboration and we are very grateful for their support.”

Social Bite uses its funds to provide food, employment opportunities and safe, permanent accommodation for the homeless, and to fund research into ending homelessness.