Care visits go on after gazebo loan

High winds in Auchterarder last Thursday led to a minor calamity for Balhousie Ruthven Towers care home when their gazebo blew down and was damaged.

Staff came in Thursday morning to find their gazebo - used by residents to socially distance when family visit - had blown down and a pole had been damaged.

They made a few calls to shops and DIY stores but everyone was out of stock.

Then they hit on the idea of asking for community help. A call went out on the Dunning Folk and Friends Facebook page and the Community School of Auchterarder Parent Council answered.

They saved the situation by agreeing to loan their gazebo to the care home until further notice.

Kirsty Smith, home manager at Balhousie

Ruthven Towers, said:“We’re hugely grateful to the Community School of Auchterarder Parent Council for helping us out.

“We were worried when we saw the damage to our gazebo as we knew there was rain forecast so we needed a replacement quickly so that our garden visits between residents and relatives could go ahead.

“The restrictions on care homes visits imposed because of coronavirus means it’s as important as ever for these visits to go ahead and for residents to see their loved ones.

”We’ve had a great working relationship with the Community School of Auchterarder, collaborating with them on community events and intergenerational visits. So it was lovely for them to step up at our time of need.”