Pitlochry Yarn Bombers, a secret group that brings knitted joy to the Perthshire town, has left its distinctive mark on a local care home.

Residents of Balhousie Pitlochry care home woke up to some colourful Autumnal decorations this week, from knitted pumpkins and leaves to a cute hedgehog, on and around its planters and entranceway.

The care home, which prides itself on its community activity, has been a favourite stop-off as part of Pitlochry’s recent Tattie Bogle Festival this year, which saw local children spotting scarecrows around the town during the ‘tattie’ holidays.

Keen to be part of the excitement, staff at Balhousie Pitlochry created a scarecrow called Stan Balhousie which was the last stop-off on the trail. The care home, located on Burnside Road beside the Community Hospital, placed Stan in a hoist in the garden.

Judith Dingwall of Tattie Bogle Festival organisers Pitlochry and Moulin Support Group said the event was inspired by the COP26 climate conference. “Scarecrows were never made out of new things and therefore businesses and locals could reuse packaging and products to make a fun figure,” she said.

Balhousie Pitlochry Activities Coordinator Eilidh Thomson said: “Stan Balhousie has been a great hit with staff, residents, visitors, delivery folks and even people on the buses point and smile at him as they go by!”

Now that Stan has been joined by a colourful array of knitted items, the home is embracing the Autumn season. Shona Hutchcox, Home Administrator at Balhousie Pitlochry, who led the Tattie Bogle effort, said: “We love the added colour the yarn bombers have given us and it fits in so well with Stan Balhousie.”

For more information about Balhousie Care Group visit www.balhousiecare.co.uk

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact Gillian Drummond on 01738 254254, 07365 284994 or gillian.drummond@balhousiecare.co.uk

 About Balhousie Care Group

Balhousie Care Group was formed 30 years ago to fill a gap in quality residential care in North East Scotland. Today, with 26 homes in the area, it is one of the leading providers of care for the elderly in Scotland, providing care to over 900 residents.

Balhousie Care prides itself on its person-centred approach to care. Putting people right at the forefront of everything they do; it’s inclusive of everyone. They capture this philosophy through the roll out of ‘Together We’re Great’, an initiative which recognises the skills, talents, attributes and support areas for each and every person involved in the organisation. Together We’re Great aims to value individuality and promote excellence across the organisation.

A Participation Charter – a first-of-its-kind in the care home sector – commits to residents getting a bigger say than ever in the care they receive, from writing care home policies to recruiting staff.

Balhousie Care Group is the recipient of numerous awards. These include three Scottish Care Awards, 2019 Growth Business and 2018 Service Business of the Year at The Courier Business Awards, 2019 Growth Business of the Year Perthshire Chamber of Commerce STAR Award, and SME Scotland Business Man of the Year 2019 for Chairman Tony Banks.