Boss rides to rescue of ‘cowboy’ victims
ACONSTRUCTION boss has come to the rescue of the family of a desperately-ill boy left devastated by ‘cowboy builders.’
Dave Mercer, who runs Mercer Group building contractors, has offered his firm’s time and services free of charge, after reading about the Al-Alawis’ plight in the Observer.
Their Wellfield home was left unsafe and almost inhabitable when three tradesmen fled halfway through renovations, after parents Fahima and Al Habib paid them almost £12,000.
The situation was made immeasurably worse by the fact one of their seven children, 14-year-old Hashim, is recovering from treatment for a brain tumour.
Since November 2015, the family has been living with a leaking roof, unsafe flooring, bare walls and no electricity or heating in parts of the house, off Oldham Road.
“When I read the story, I really wanted to do something to help,” said Dave, of Rochdale.
“I went around to the house and it was a right mess. I’ve offered the firm’s services to the family for free and now we have a group of my lads, along with a group of volunteers, ready to begin the work on Monday. I’ve also contacted my suppliers for help with materials.”
The project will involve making the house safe and completing plumbing, electrical and plastering work. A Good Samaritan has also offered the family a temporary home while the work, estimated to take three-tofour weeks, is completed.
Hashim, whose tumour was diagnosed in September 2014, has undergone several operations, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and proton beam therapy, which has left him with severe physical weakness, disabilities and kidney problems.
Dawn Fidler, founder of the Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour charity, has been supporting their family through the ordeal. She said: “We are so grateful to Dave for coming to the family’s rescue. This will transform their lives and the kindness is something they won’t forget. Hashim really needs to be able to live downstairs because of his condition and after this work is finished we will be pushing for the house to be adapted for him.”
To support the family, visit gofundme.com/helphashim.