Owners at Sachs Lodge received a colourful visitor this weekend, as “The People’s Friend” brought its new yarn-bombed bus to the streets of Torquay.
In partnership with Re-engage, a charity that is committed to fighting loneliness, the colourful knitted bus began a tour of the UK last week to deliver a warm dose of friendship to everyone who sees it.
Torquay was one of the first destinations for the bus, and the apartment Owners at Sachs Lodge were delighted to welcome their vibrantly decorated visitor.
An appeal to knitters of the UK sparked a huge collective effort from the public, with people sending friendly crocheted faces, delightful pom-poms, brightly coloured squares and rows of bunting to decorate it, and all for an excellent cause.
The bus tour is raising funds for Re-engage’s new telephone befriending service “Call Companions”, which was launched in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It offers free, regular calls to ensure those most vulnerable to isolation remain connected to the outside world.
A spokesperson from The People’s Friend said:
The yarn-bombed bus is our collective message to people of the UK to show we’re thinking about them. We’ve been working with national public transport provider, Stagecoach and crochet designer and urban knitter, Emma Leith to make sure the bus’s design will embrace the trend of yarn bombing. It was great to see everyone at Sachs Lodge and we hope they enjoyed our visit!
Lodge Manager Jo Beasley added: “Everyone here thought the bus was wonderful. What a great idea and a brilliant way to bring the nation’s knitters together for such a good cause!”