Cork soup kitchen set for ‘At Your Service’ overhaul
Cork Penny Dinners, based on Little Hanover Street, will be the subject of the brothers’ At Your Service TV Christmas special later this year.
While the RTÉ production usually focuses on guesthouses, bed and breakfasts and small hotels across the country, in recent years the show has taken a more charity-focused approach when filming its holiday special.
Having previously completed Christmas makeovers at the Caring and Sharing Association, Cappagh Hospital and Enable Ireland, all in Dublin, the brothers now turn their gaze Leeside in a bid to help Cork’s Penny Dinners.
The duo has made an appeal to the public to help them revamp the volunteer-run service which provides more than 1,800 meals a week for people in need.
Their ‘wishlist’ includes kitchen equipment, dining room furnishings and a mode of transport.
“The Penny Dinners volunteers take it in turns to collect various donations of bread, foodstuffs and other items every day. Each of the volunteers has to use their own car, which is unsustainable due to the sheer volume of collections, meaning several runs,” said the brothers in a statement.
“They would love a van to use for this purpose. They would also be able to use this vehicle to drop donation to those in need.”
The kitchen items the show is looking for people to donate include a large conventional oven, a hob, and extractor fan system, chef knives, fridges, dishware and kitchen units.
To revamp the toilets, they will need a new toilet, a sink and some tiles, while the dining room is in need of some long tables, chairs, lino and a television set.
Miscellaneous items on the ‘wishlist’ include paint for the exterior and interior of the premises, non-slip mats and building materials.
The show is also calling for volunteers to help with electrical work, painting, plumbing, tiling and sanding.
To donate items or volunteer to take part in the upgrade, send an email to rebecca@waddellmedia.com or phone 048 90 427646.
