Good Samaritan Bernard and JP Corry firm offer a helping hand to Derry's Dove House

Dove House is being gifted £1,100 worth of materials in a kind gesture resulting from a conversation between manager Jayne Quigg and former JP Corry employee and Dove House volunteer Bernard Crumlish.
By Ryan Wilson
Published 7th Mar 2024, 12:30 BST
Updated 9th Mar 2024, 11:33 BST
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The new building supplies will now allow Bernard to create much-needed new office space at the Bogside premises.

Now a retiree, Bernard spent over 41 years working in the supplies industry, with the majority of his career spent working for JP Corry, and it was this connection that saw him get in contact with the managing director at the building suppliers and getting the green light to have supplies donated to the local charity.

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Talking about how this all came about, Bernard said: ‘It was a simple conversation one day while having a coffee with Jayne and my daughter, Kitty who also works at Dove House. They said they were struggling for space and funding wasn’t forthcoming to modernise the big room upstairs at the back.

DELIVERY ON TIME!. . . .JP Corry's Sean White just handing over the last of the materials on Tuesday last to Bernard Crumlish, Project Manager, Kitty Crumlish, Jayne Quigg, DHCT Manager and Jennifer Palmer. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography)DELIVERY ON TIME!. . . .JP Corry's Sean White just handing over the last of the materials on Tuesday last to Bernard Crumlish, Project Manager, Kitty Crumlish, Jayne Quigg, DHCT Manager and Jennifer Palmer. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography)
DELIVERY ON TIME!. . . .JP Corry's Sean White just handing over the last of the materials on Tuesday last to Bernard Crumlish, Project Manager, Kitty Crumlish, Jayne Quigg, DHCT Manager and Jennifer Palmer. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography)

“I said, ,wait a minute,. I made a phone call to the managing director at JP and within minutes had got the go-ahead for the supplies to be given free. All that's left now is for me to get a plasterer and the rest of the work I’ll do myself.”

The work to create two new offices will take up to a week to complete.

DHCT manager Jayne Quigg expressed how happy she was to see this all come together, and said she was left speechless after coming off the phone to Bernard and hearing not only that they had got all the supplies to build the new offices but that it was all free.

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“We are overwhelmed by the extreme generosity from JP Corry and indeed, Bernard! When I visited their Strand Road depot this week, the management and staff were both welcoming and informative of the supplies we were receiving.”

Looking over the final plans for the work at Dove House are Jayne Quigg, manager, Dove House and project manager Bernard Crumlish, also a former manager at JP Corry's.Looking over the final plans for the work at Dove House are Jayne Quigg, manager, Dove House and project manager Bernard Crumlish, also a former manager at JP Corry's.
Looking over the final plans for the work at Dove House are Jayne Quigg, manager, Dove House and project manager Bernard Crumlish, also a former manager at JP Corry's.

“The donation will allow for much-needed office space with the demand on our services at present, and after identifying a space within the current DHCT offices, this will allow a larger space to be split to allow more office space and meet the demands of our community’.

And true to their word, a JP Corry lorry with all the supplies arrived at Dove House Community Trust on Tuesday afternoon, with the materials unloaded by Bernard with the intention of starting the renovations before the end of the week.

Related topics:Dove HouseDerry