Bognor town centre to be hit by 'yarn bomb'

Mum and daughter team, Katy, right, and Georgia Alston, left, opened Pinks Parlour in Waterloo Square earlier this year. Photo: Goble Photography

Family-run Bognor-based business Pinks Parlour has partnered up with Dementia Support to surprise residents with a 'yarn bomb' ⁠— a type of graffiti or street art that consists of colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk.

The yarn bomb will run from the top of Waterloo Square along the High Street and up London Road.

Georgia Alston, Pinks business development manager, said: "Residents of Bognor Regis, waking up to go to work and school, [will be] met with a colourful surprise.

"Pinks Parlour have partnered up with Dementia Support to raise awareness of all the good work they do and in particular why people should sign up to become a Dementia Friend.

"Along with donating a percentage of the takings of each scoop of rum and raisin gelato that is hand made on the premise at Pinks Parlour, they have also coordinated this Yarn Bomb which has been created by generous volunteers throughout the country.

"There have been individuals, students and staff from the University of Chichester and women’s institutes from across West Sussex all donating their very own creation. Some who were just keen knitters and others because their lives had been affected by dementia in some way."

Georgia said the yarn bomb is a way of getting businesses, groups and individuals to think about dementia.

She added: "Dementia doesn't care who you are; it could affect us all. Because public understanding can be poor, people with dementia often feel-and are- misunderstood, marginalised and isolated. And that means that they are less likely to be able to live independently in their own communities.

"We need to create a climate of kindness and understanding, so that everyone affected by dementia feels part of society.

"Becoming a dementia friend simply means finding out more about how dementia affects a person and then armed with this understanding, doing small everyday things that help. Forexample, being patient in a shop queue, or spending time with someone you know who's living with dementia."

For further information in becoming a dementia friend, contact Sage House on 01243 888691.

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