Pensioners looking for Good Samaritan to help finish lockdown garden project

Dundee group seeks joiner to repair wishing well at housing complex

Residents at a sheltered housing complex in Dundee are appealing for a kind-hearted person to help them finish their lockdown garden project.

The elderly residents of Blackness Court took it upon themselves to redo their garden – but are just one piece short of completing the puzzle.

One woman, Cecilia McCartney, even had a light heart attack as a result of the labour she put into the project.

More than a week later, the 87-yearold brushed off the incident saying she has recovered and is “full of life”.

The garden has been completely overhauled, but fixing the wishing well has proved beyond their skills.

It is in a general state of disrepair and is being held together by tape.

As a result, they are issuing a plea for any joiners or anyone who thinks they have the skills to fix the well to lend a hand.

Plucky Cecilia said: “There is a lovely sitting area in the garden but the stumbling block is the wishing well that is absolutely falling apart.

“Parts of it are deteriorating. It’s all we have yet to repair.”

Cecilia estimates it would only take a professional joiner about an hour to complete the job.

She added: “People (living here) are asking about it. We want our wishing well repaired.

“This place is lovely because of the garden, it’s somewhere they can come and sit. We just hope someone out there can help finish it for us.”

Alison Neil of Home Group Scotland, who manages the housing complex, said: “We do have a maintenance service for the properties, however work of this type isn’t covered by that provision.

“If customers are unable to find a local joiner to help restore the wishing well, they may be able to apply for funding from us.”

Picture: Mhairi Edwards. Cecilia McCartney beside the wishing well that needs repairing.