By Dionne Meehan
A KINDHEARTED Letterkenny businessman who cleaned ten houses with defective blocks for free last Christmas has compiled a heart-wrenching documentary.
Releasing ‘Sandcastles of Donegal’ this week, the documentary follows local man Peter Blake, founder of Peadar Jim’s Cleaning Services, as he embarks on his journey of spreading hope to those left feeling helpless.
Starting his business ten years ago, Peter offers services such as power-washing and guttering throughout the North West.
However, while Peter was on his travels he began witnessing a massive amount of homes and families suffering from the defective blocks crisis.
Opening his eyes to the conditions in which affected families were living in, Peter decided to give back.
“I remember doing a house last year and it was out in Glenswilly,” Peter said.
“The woman couldn’t even open her back door because the blocks were caving in.
“She had three or four children and it was just terrible.
“She just wanted her concrete washed around her house so that opened my eyes for starters.
“Even though their houses are falling apart, they wanted to have some sort of dignity and pride in their surroundings.”
Taking to Facebook to post his appeal, Peter said the response was “overwhelming”.
Hoping that his kind gesture would trigger a “domino effect” on other local businesses, Peter and his trusty sidekick Hopper got to work.
The documentary, compiled by videographer Artur Szotek, shows the reality of living in a home made from defective blocks.
Hopper looks on while Peter cleans a house made out of defective blocks.
Finding the process mentally challenging, Peter said from the start, it was emotion that spurred his actions.
“I remember one day it was very windy,” he said.
“I asked Artur what it was going to take for things to change.
“Is a block going to fall on a child?
“Life is hard enough, but to come home to that, mental health must be through the roof.
“The only rewarding thing was seeing the smile on the homeowners faces every time I finished a job.”
Since the beginning of filming, four representatives from the 100% Redress Party have been elected to Donegal County Council and one representative has been elected to Dáil Éireann. They now act as a voice for affected homeowners.
“There were a lot of people out there who could relate to each other but didn’t know who to talk to,” Peter said.
“But now, it is good they are represented as it offers a bit of hope.
“They can now say they are making some sort of progress.”
Check out ‘Sandcastles of Donegal’ on Youtube or via the following link: https://youtu.be/Pk7q12Q5UU8?si=OvuBGY2-cMyXi18w
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