Balhousie Care Group Brings Santa and Peter Pan to Children's Hospice
23rd December 2010 | < Back | 
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The story of Peter Pan and the magical island of Neverland was brought to life by children at Rachel House, Scotland's first children's hospice, and Balhousie Care Group today (Tuesday).
Balhousie Care Group is to host its annual charity ball in March, which will have a Peter Pan theme to mark the recent 150th anniversary of author J M Barrie's birth in nearby Kirriemuir.
With all proceeds going to Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS), youngsters who are being cared for at Rachel House will be invited to decorate giant banners featuring characters from the J M Barrie story, including Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Tinkerbell, Wendy and Smee.
The Peter Pan trademark is owned by Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, which has kindly agreed to let Balhousie Care Group use the Peter Pan theme for this one-off event.
Accompanied by Santa and his helpers, Tony Banks, Chairman and Founder of Balhousie Care Group, visited Rachel House this morning to deliver the banners and special Christmas gifts for the children.
CHAS is Balhousie Care Group's nominated charity and a cheque for £43,000 - including the proceeds from an Italian Job themed ball held this year - was recently handed over.
Tony said: "We all enjoyed bringing some festive cheer to the children and staff at Rachel House, which does such valuable work supporting the youngsters and their families".
"For our 2011 charity ball, which will directly benefit CHAS, we chose the theme of Peter Pan to reflect the close links our local area has with J M Barrie and to mark the anniversary of his birth".
"We share many common themes with CHAS, with care being at the heart of everything we do, and thought it would be a good opportunity to invite the children to help us decorate the room in a Peter Pan style and are looking forward to seeing their creations when they get busy with paint and glitter!"
CHAS Fundraiser Rachel Cheer said: "The children and young people were thrilled by Santa's visit and we are delighted to welcome the Balhousie Care Group to Rachel House for this very special occasion."
"Christmas is a poignant time for families who use Rachel House Children's Hospice and we're always overwhelmed by the generosity of our supporters at this time of year. Helping create happy memories for families who have children with life-shortening conditions is a huge part of what we do and we're so pleased that Balhousie Care Group kindly helped get everyone into the festive spirit."
The CHAS Ball will be held at Dundee's Landmark Hotel on March 18, 2011. Tables are available from Balhousie Care Group on 01307 477999. All the cash raised on the night will support CHAS' work providing the only hospice services in Scotland for children and young people with life-shortening conditions.
Rachel House opened in Kinross in March 1996, with Robin House in Balloch following in August 2005.
The hospices support the whole family by offering short planned breaks, emergency support, end of life care and a range of bereavement services.
CHAS also provides a home care service, called CHAS at Home, staffed from both hospices and with a dedicated team in Inverness. The service offers care to families in their own homes when they need it most.
Balhousie Care Group's stated aim is to become the most admired and respected provider of residential care in Scotland. The company prides itself on providing a personalised service and comfortable accommodation to each of its residents, who are currently cared for in 21 homes across the country, with another new home due to open in Coupar Angus in the new year.
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Words of appreciation...
- Now that I am living in Australia, Skype has been a fantastic way of keeping in touch with Mum. Thank you Balhousie for providing this facility Daughter of Resident at Balhousie Alastrean Care Home
- The thing I most enjoy is the interaction with residents and family members. Being part of a team that delivers high quality care, often in the latter years of an individual's life, while trying to promote their independence is a big responsibility. I think it's hugely important to be able to make that time as easy and comfortable as possible. Manager, Balhousie Lisden Care Home
- What Balhousie Care staff did was beyond the call of duty and we appreciate the work that made Mum's birthday special, even though we had to help her with the blowing out of the candles! Daughter of Resident at Balhousie North Inch Care Home
The goal of Balhousie Care Group is to be acknowledged as the leading and most admired provider of residential care in Scotland.