Irish builders’ merchants to supply vital materials and services to upgrade six Mitchelstown homes for families fleeing the conflict in Ukraine
Chadwicks, Ireland’s leading builders’ merchants, is set to provide much-needed support to refurbish and upgrade six residential homes in a two-part special series of DIY SOS: The Big Build for Ukraine. The first of its kind, the Autumn special will see Baz and his team come together to renovate homes for Ukrainian refugees that require immediate housing and community.
As the exclusive building materials supplier to the show, Chadwicks will provide a wide range of materials to facilitate a significant refurbishment of six of the period homes in Kingston College, Mitchelstown. Products provided for the terraced homes will comprise of plumbing materials including four boilers, piping and fittings; doors and door accessories as well as skirting, architrave, plywood, timber and material for storage and shelving areas. The Chadwicks team will also provide insulation products including flooring, floor underlay as well as radiator covers; Sam Hire equipment including diggers and machinery, along with painting equipment such as brushes, rolls and trays to help complete the work. In addition to the materials, The Panelling Centre team led by General Manager, Anthony Ridgeway, will also provide each of the six homes with brand new, state-of-the-art kitchens that have been expertly designed by The Panelling Centre kitchen specialists. Offering much-needed assistance and expertise for these builds, a team of 15 Chadwicks colleagues will volunteer across the nine-day build in Mitchelstown in order to transform these homes into safe and comforting spaces for the Ukrainian families.
In a time of deep unrest and uncertainty, the community in Mitchelstown hoped to provide support to Ukrainian refugees and families that had to flee their homes amidst the war. Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Dr Paul Colton along with the diocesan secretary, Billy Skuse felt that the vacant homes in the Kingston College community could be utilised to support the fleeing refugees, and in turn, put out an appeal to the DIY SOS team.
Baz and the DIY SOS team have committed to going above and beyond to support the Mitchelstown community in upgrading the six homes to allow the Ukrainian families to have a sense of freedom, comfort and independence during their time in Ireland. Alongside Baz, celebrity landscaper, Diarmuid Gavin has also promised his support to design a dedicated community garden for all local families to come together to enjoy.
Commenting on the announcement is Sean O’Sullivan, Chadwicks Clonmel Branch Manager, “Over the past number of months, the entire team at Chadwicks Clonmel has been shaken by the unrest in Ukraine. When we found out about the opportunity to support Ukrainian refugees and families that were fleeing the conflict, it became a top priority for all of the team. We’ve been touched by the incredible efforts that Bishop Dr Paul Colton and Billy Skuse have gone to by raising funds and offering these homes to the families. We look forward to providing as much support as possible in creating safe and comfortable homes – it is an honour to play a part in such a worthwhile and important journey.”
Now in its third series, DIY SOS: The Big Build has gained national acclaim for its inspiring renovations for families in need. In each episode an army of volunteer builders, labourers, tradespeople, suppliers, friends and neighbours come together to give their time and labour to support a local family.
DIY SOS: The Big Build for Ukraine will air in a two-part special on RTÉ in Christmas 2022.
