Brennan's need help to refurbish Corks Penny Dinners building

A plea for help has been made by hoteliers Francis and John Brennan from Kenmare.

The duo are best known for their hotel expertise on RTE’s At Your Service. 

But in recent years they have taken up a more personal challenge at Christmas when they have applied their troubleshooting skills to organisations helping others. 

This year John and Francis have been challenged to help Cork’s Penny Dinners, a charity run by volunteers who provide 1,800 meals a week.

Now the brothers are seeking donated items and handy men to give them a dig-out for the show, and to help refurbish the Penny Dinners’ very dilapidated building.

One of the things on the Brennans’ wishlist is a van – 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. They would love a van to use for this purpose. They would also be able to use this vehicle to drop donations to those in need. 

They also need kitchen equipment. Penny Dinners need an industrial catering-style kitchen with lots of storage space. They are looking for a large convection oven hob extractor fan system, a bain marie, kitchen units, shelves, cupboards, stainless steel cups, plates, bowls and cutlery, chefs’ knives, a washing machine/dryer, fridges, cold storage, walk-in fridge/freezer (custom sized), and vegetable storage. They also need toilets, a sink, tiles, long tables, pews/chairs, a TV, general décor materials, heavy duty lino and some paint, building materials and non-slip mats.

But they also need electricians, painters, plumbers, sanders or tilers, are asked to get in touch.  To sign up for this wonderful case, contact [email protected] at (048) 90 427646