A SOUTH Lakes pensioner has praised the work of a free repair and maintenance service offered by South Lakeland District Council.

Work to fix Jillian Rawcliffe's sticking front door became successful task number 1,800 thanks to a council-run scheme which is now being extended.

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The repair at Mrs Rawcliffe’s home in Windermere is typical of those which elderly, disabled and vulnerable people cannot tackle safely which the council can arrange to be done free-of-charge.

Mrs Rawcliffe said: “I think it’s wonderful. My front door had been stuck fast for months and I didn’t have anyone to fix it for me. When the two handy people turned up I knew I was in safe hands and the job was done in no time."

Under the Handy Person Scheme her door was taken off its hinges, planed and the locks adjusted; all at no cost to Mrs Rawcliffe.

SLDC’s Handy Person Scheme covers a long list of jobs from putting up shelves and curtain poles to replacing light bulbs, toilet seats and tap washers.

Work is limited to a maximum of three hours and households can use the service up to six times a year. The labour is free and residents only pay for the materials used, although sometimes these are also provided by generous partner agencies.

Although the three year contract was due to finish at the end of March the council has extended it for another year.

Dave and Marie Shields from Growing Concerns, the company which will continue carrying out the repairs on behalf of the council, says it is an important local service.

Mrs Shields said: “Even the smallest repairs and the most simple jobs are really appreciated by those who can’t do the work and don’t have anyone to do it for them. What’s really important is that we can do these jobs safely, without residents putting themselves at risk of an accident.

"The feedback we get is lovely and it’s nice to do a good job that’s appreciated."