'DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland' is looking for tradespeople in the South East to help a Kilkenny family create a home for their nine-year-old daughter.
In just a few weeks - 18th March to 27th March 2025 - Baz and the team will travel to Mooncoin in Co.Kilkenny to rally the troops to help complete a dream home for the O’Hanlon family, and their daughter Aoibhínn.
Aoibhínn (9), was born with a severe type of spina bifida and hydrocephalus, which pose significant challenges for her and her family, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
She is completely paralysed from her belly button down and has had to have a shunt inserted to drain the fluid from her brain. Aoibhínn lives in Mooncoin, County Kilkenny - with her Mam Sharon (Aoibhínn’s full-time carer), her Dad John, and her two younger siblings.
After many years of struggling to secure the money to build a home to meet Aoibhínn’s growing needs - with a lot of knockbacks and refusals - John and Sharon eventually managed to secure an extremely modest mortgage and embarked on their self-build.
Progress has been painfully slow - despite family and friends giving every spare moment to the project. To save money the family moved in to Aoibhínn’s grandparent's house which is now jam-packed with assistive devices and mobility equipment, such as wheelchairs, a stander, commodes, high chairs and a changing unit.
John and Sharon might eventually achieve their goal of a home for Aoibhínn but not without budget-driven compromises and not without further significant delay.
This is the DIY SOS team's first build of the new year, and they are calling on everyone in Kilkenny, Waterford, South Kilkenny and South Wexford to make this happen.
They are looking for:
- Groundworkers, Ticketed Machine Drivers, Carpenters, General Labourers, Plumbers, Electricians, Slabbers, Blocklayers, Painters, Plasterers, Joiners, Pavers, Landscapers, Fencers, Tilers, Photography, Audiovisual companies, Catering, Cleaning and Registration Volunteers
- Local companies who can assist us by supplying goods and materials for external works: Grab hire, skips, waste management, lawn turf and other landscaping products.
- Catering: Catering companies or local restaurants and cafés to provide breakfast rolls, lunch, dinners and snacks to fuel our 100+ hardworking troops.
- Interiors: We need joinery companies, glazing, furniture, wallpaper, extensive homewares, photography and frames, bedding, mirrors, mattress supplier, curtains and blinds.
- Site Support: Traffic Management, Site Security, Van drivers, transport companies, marquees, accommodation, and printers.
If you'd like to get involved, please get in touch via email - [email protected] - or call/ text 083 126 3130 and include your:
* NAME
* NUMBER
* EMAIL
* Details of your TRADE or what you can SUPPLY.
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