WISHAW couple, Mr and Mrs Morra, were the recipients of Care and Repair North Lanarkshire’s 5,000th repair.
The busy service, managed since April 2012 by Horizon Housing Association (part of the Link group), carries out around 270 repairs and handyperson tasks every month, providing practical help to older and disabled people in North Lanarkshire to help them live in their homes in comfort and security and with greater independence
Mr Morra, 73, contacted Care and Repair North Lanarkshire as his security light was not working properly.
Small repairs officer, George Schoneville, quickly fixed the timer on the light and worked with Mr Morra to ensure the light came on for the correct amount of time to get the couple safely to their door.
Whilst George was at Mr Morra’s property he was also able to fix loose connections on some display cabinet lights which Mr Morra had spotted the previous day.
Mr Morra said: “The service is great and I am very grateful for the work. We were rushing into the house afraid the light would go out before we got to the door.”
George Schoneville added: “It was a simple job. A faulty security light might not seem like an urgent problem, but it can cause someone to trip and fall – our work is about preventing that, so we always try to respond quickly.”
Care and Repair North Lanarkshire is funded by North Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire.
The service provides practical help to home owners in North Lanarkshire, who are of pensionable age or are disabled, with small repairs, such as adjusting doors, small plumbing repairs and minor electrical work in the home.
These are carried out by the team’s qualified Small Repairs Officers. There is a small charge of £10 plus VAT, and the owner must pay the cost of any materials.
Home owners and tenants who are of pensionable age also benefit from a free handyperson service, offered by 16 friendly and trained volunteers.
They provide practical help with jobs around the home such as fitting batteries in smoke detectors, assembling flat pack units, hanging curtains and changing light bulbs.
The service user meets the costs of any materials needed to complete the task.
To request a service or if you want to help older people in your community by becoming a volunteer Handyperson go to www.northlan.care-and-repair.org or call the Freephone number 0800 048 2882 Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm.
PRESS RELEASE issued by Horizon Housing Association. You too can post your story ideas for journalists (aka press or media releases), on allmediascotland.com. Email info@allmediascotland.com for more information.
Contact: Alison Spence
Email: aran@linkhaltd.co.uk
