High School pupils furnish garden comfort for Bayview Care Home

17th August 2019

Residents Bayview care home in Thurso will be able to enjoy the rest of the summer in style thanks to garden furniture won for them by pupils from the local high school.

The Thurso High School pupils successfully competed for £3,000 funding from the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) for the NHS Highland-run Bayview House care home earlier this year.

After hearing of plans of a safer garden scheme upgrade at the Caithness home, the pupils put together a YPI proposal so that residents were able to sit comfortably and enjoy their new surroundings.

Some of the funding provides durable seating, parasols, tables and cushions outside in the garden, with the rest of the grant spent on furniture for the home's conservatory - so ‘bringing the outside, in’ for the residents unable to go outdoors.

Claire McIntosh, manager of Bayview House, said: "We are all very proud and grateful for what the Thurso High School pupils have done for us."

The YPI, managed and principally funded in Scotland by the Wood Foundation, is a unique annual programme of teamwork, research and competition. Each participating school is responsible for the award of the YPI grant of £3,000 to a local grassroots charity tackling a social issue.

During the last academic year, the school’s S3 pupils were split into teams and tasked with researching issues in their area and local charities addressing those issues. Each team then contacted its chosen charity. Six finalist teams were then chosen to compete for the school’s YPI grant last December.

PHOTO
Bayview House residents (front row, left to right) Jessie Maclean, Ann Miller, Jessan Mackay and Rona Gow seen here trying out the garden furniture with members of the Thurso High School’s winning team and depute head teacher Mr Omand looking on.