Care & Repair: Free DIY jobs for Older People

Celebrity Architect and RTÉ star Dermot Bannon along with over 450 Bank of Ireland volunteers tackled 200 gardens in Dublin, Cork and Galway in June as part of the Great Bank of Ireland Backyard Blitz.

The initiative sees Bank of Ireland staff give their time to help Age Action’s Care & Repair service by providing gardening work for older people who find it difficult to do the work themselves. The work done ranged from small summer tidy up’s to major clear-outs of overgrown gardens.

Care & Repair Manager John O’Mahony was delighted with the turnout on the day. “As people begin to lose mobility the garden is often the first thing that causes a problem. This can be very upsetting when people have kept beautiful gardens throughout their lives. Many of our clients were able to sit out in the garden for the first time in years and luckily we had the weather for them to enjoy it! This was a great example of how a big company like Bank of Ireland can make a real difference in their community.”

Margaret from East Wall was thrilled with the work she had done “‘They were ever so nice. They went at the garden and worked like hell’ she says. ‘They said they enjoyed it even though they looked knackered when they’d finished!’

As well as providing gardening work in older people’s homes, the Seán O’Casey Community Centre Garden in East Wall benefited from an expert makeover. The Centre provides a space for members of the 5,000-strong community in the area, 70% of which are aged over 65. With Dermot Bannon’s design expertise, Bank of Ireland volunteers refurbished the garden adding a patio area, pergola, beautiful plants and a mural to brighten up the area for all the residents of the community.

Discussing the initiative, Backyard Blitz Ambassador Dermot Bannon said, “The Bank of Ireland Backyard Blitz initiative is a fantastic way to support communities and I am very proud to be involved. As an architect, I know from experience that once a space looks well people are more inclined to use it and enjoy it. Strong communities are built on strong community spirit and this initiative from Age Action and Bank of Ireland will make a real impact for those involved.”

The Backyard Blitz involved:

• 453 Volunteers and garden experts
• 200 Gardens
• 11,990 Metres squared grass cut
• 2,003 Metres squared weeds pulled
• 4,572 Metres squared paving washed
• 7,426 Shrubs pruned
• 150 Litres of sun cream
• 1,200 Litres of water
• 1,041 Cups of tea