Firm helps families by auctioning off services
A FORT WILLIAM construction company is hoping an idea to auction off their services to help local families will catch on.
Ewan Donnelly, who owns DMD Construction with his twin brother Chris, told The
Oban Times they had come up with the idea for the auctions a couple of years ago.
It was not until recently, however, that the events gathered pace in a bid to help people who had received sad news on the lead up to Christmas – including the family of Ryan Whiteford who was recently diagnosed with leukaemia.
He said: ‘ We organised an auction to raise money for a wee fellow called Irwin, as he had taken not well.
‘Ryan Whiteford is the nephew of one of the boys and when the family got the news we thought we’d do something for him and then within a week another wee girl had received similar diagnosis. It is really sad, so the boys and I wanted to do something.
‘ What I decided to do is put the job out on Facebook and not ask for a certain price but say the materials cost ‘ such and such’ and so if we could cover that it would be great but that none of the team will take any payment for their time.
‘One of the jobs included 30 metres of fencing so that was about £ 500 for materials but the winning bid was actually £1,250.
‘Even the second highest bid was over £1,000 so people have gone above and beyond. All the clients have been lovely, keeping us fed and watered as we work and really digging deep to help.’
Ewan, who became a father for the first time last year added: ‘What we’re hoping for now is that the idea might catch on because it really is a good way to raise money. If other businesses, construction companies or whatever could do the same it would probably benefit a lot of local people who are maybe going through a hard time.
‘I don’t want credit though, I just organise the bids and if my team finishes a job early and people are willing then I will say let’s go and do one of these auction jobs. But there have been times when more than 10 people have turned up to help, giving up their free time and often at the weekends. So even though the reasons for the jobs have been sad, people have stepped up and that is fantastic.’