Lord Mayor of Cork joins Deaf Enterprises 40th anniversary celebration

There are many great things about Ballinlough’s Deaf Enterprises, not least their being Ireland’s only dedicated employer of members of the deaf and hard of hearing community, but for the Lord Mayor of Cork, one is particularly close to his heart.

The Cork charity was officially incorporated in 1987, but Fr Bill Clarke, its founder, first began to work with deaf people in 1985.

To mark that 40th anniversary, the Lord Mayor, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle made an official visit to Deaf Enterprises.

Excellent

“I’ve visited many times over the years, but this was my first opportunity to call as Lord Mayor,” he told The Echo.

“I think what they do in offering training and employment opportunities to people who are deaf and hard of hearing is excellent in its own right, but I like the circular economy role that they play. 

"They’ve been well-known for furniture restoration for many years, and in recent years they’ve been doing excellent work in reformatting bicycles, and it’s exactly the type of social enterprise group I want to encourage.”

The charity currently employs 39 staff, 30 of whom are deaf or hard of hearing, or identify as having a disability.

In the years since Fr Clarke first began the charity, it has earned a reputation for high quality furniture repair, re-upholstery, French polishing, and renovation.

Every year the company repairs, re-upholsters and restores an estimated 150 tonnes of furniture that might otherwise end up in landfill.

Qualified

Three years ago, five of the charity’s employees trained to become qualified bicycle mechanics, recycling and repairing used bikes.

Since then, they have restored some 700 bicycles.

Mr Boyle said he was attempting to start a focus group in City Hall to examine ways of improving the circular economy, and he believed Deaf Enterprises offered an example to be followed.

“One of the ways I’m trying to recognise Deaf Enterprises is that as part of the Lord Mayor’s Ball this year I’ve asked that it be recognised as one of the listed charities,” he said.

“I would encourage people to attend, knowing that one of the results of people enjoying themselves at that event will be Deaf Enterprises being able to do what they do excellently even better.”

Deaf Enterprises general manager Steve Flint said staff had been very grateful to Mr Boyle for his visit.

“We really appreciate that he took time out of his busy schedule to come and meet members of the deaf community and appreciate the work they do here,” he said.