The idea was developed by Barnard Castle resident Dave Watson after hearing about elderly people being taken advantage of by unscrupulous contractors.
Mr Watson runs Warm Age Wood in the town, which helps provide briquettes to people in fuel poverty.
He said: “So far we have five tradesmen but some of them can do multiple things. So far they have fixed a gutter in Bowes, done electrical work in Barnard Castle and now some tiling work in Newgate, and that has only been by word of mouth.”
Different types of jobs the tradesmen can do include plumbing, chimney sweeping, gardening, painting and decorating, carpentry, building and general repairs.
The scheme was originally intended for the group of knitters who support Warm Age Wood by providing items to sell in the shop on Market Place. A portion of the sales goes toward providing the briquettes.
Now Mr Watson wants to extend it to all elderly and vulnerable people.
He said: “It is also for those who are new to the area because they don’t have the connections. It is not a major thing, but it is the decent thing to do.”
Barnard Castle resident Penny Foster used the scheme to get tiling work done by handyman Andrew Bulmer.
She said: “Honestly, he is so professional. He goes out of his way, he even took me to the shop to choose the tiles.
“I think it is a great idea, so people can go in an find someone they can trust.”
The scheme, as well as the knitting group, has now secured cash from the Regional Technology Centre North (RTC) through the European Regional Development Fund to help cover up to 40 per cent of the cost of providing materials for the knitters and expenses in finding tradesmen.
People who would like to use the service or would like to recommend a tradesman can visit the shop or contact Mr Watson on 07801 428537.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.