Costs to transform a former rest home into a transformational living centre for families are expected to be slashed after businesses lined up to donate time and materials.

Sheelagh Cooper, the chairwoman of Habitat for Humanity of Bermuda, which is one of the charities behind the project, said corporate volunteers had offered “huge support” over the past month.

She added: “It’s great to be involved in a project that has so much community support.

“So far we are on target to cut our original cost estimate for refurbishing the building almost in half.”

A team of 20 from Enstar Group attended the former Pembroke Rest Home last Thursday, and got to work digging and mowing in the garden of the centre courtyard.

Staff from the insurance group also washed down bedrooms and the large industrial kitchen at the site.

The TLC for families, which is also spearheaded by another charity, the Women’s Resource Centre, is expected to cater for ten mothers and their children, who will live there for up to a year while they benefit from programmes and services to help them move on.

Renovations to the former rest home, which is owned by Pembroke Parish Council, were estimated to cost more than $1.3 million when the venue was announced in April, 2019.

But the charity leaders said they hoped people across the island would get involved and donate not only cash, but time, expertise and resources to reduce the total cost.

Ms Cooper said: “We have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm in the corporate community to help with the project.

“In a couple of weeks, we will have a huge team arriving from KPMG as well, so things are progressing really quickly.

Ms Cooper added: “I would also like to mention the incredible job that Stafford Flooring has done in refinishing all of our beautiful hardwood floors. They just look incredible.

“Thanks also to Pembroke Paint who have been so very generous over the long term and who have made a huge difference to our bottom-line costs,” Ms Cooper explained. “Many thanks as well to Island Glass, who just recently donated doors and windows for which we are hugely grateful.”

Plans for the project were launched after a think tank of 18 charities and government agencies identified significant levels of homelessness among mothers and children, as well as an urgent need to tackle the problem.

A steering committee that included people affected by the problem met over the next year and recommended a TLC for families that would offer not only housing, but counselling, rehabilitation, education, training and other services.

Ms Cooper added: “Our next task is to find electricians and plumbers to help bring the building up to code in those areas so we are sending out the word for that now.”

• Interested volunteers can reach Habitat Bermuda at 296-0256 or Habitat.bermuda@gmail.com