Recycling bikes to cycle again

A Cork furniture restoration shop employing deaf and hearing-impaired people has embarked on a pilot programme to stop pushbikes going to landfill.

The programme will see Deaf Enterprises in Ballinlough repair and fix donated bikes before giving them to those unable to access bikes otherwise.

Funded by Department of Transport and the Department of Rural and Community Development, the programme will also employ people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Founded in 1986, Deaf Enterprises was set up by a group of local visionaries including Cork priest Fr Bill Clarke who spent much of his life helping the deaf.

Having started out with 10 employees, Deaf Enterprises now employs 38 workers and has become the largest employer of deaf and hard of hearing people in Ireland. The organisation’s main goal is to provide not only a place of work, but a social and communitive hub for the skilled crafts people.

“We offer a space where everyone is welcome from any background, this is a supported work environment that allows a safe and secure workplace that many consider a home from home support,” explained Claire O’Mahony, Employment Assistance Officer at Deaf Enterprises.

Communication at Deaf Enterprises relies heavily on sign language and visual cues with an aim to create a comfortable and empowering environment for employees.

The enterprise employs people from all kinds of backgrounds and different nationalities including Irish, British, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Polish.

Ms O’Mahony continued: “With each country having their own sign language, we have adapted and learned how to communicate in so many different ways.

“My colleagues’ work speaks for itself, revamping and giving life to preloved items of furniture. We always say, ‘don’t lose it, re use it’ and through this mantra we contribute to the circular economy and stop thousands of pieces of furniture each year from going to landfill.

“Thanks to funding from the likes of the HSE and other governmental departments we can further support the deaf community and provide training and further growth to our profit-for-purpose’ social enterprise,” she added. The skilled workforce at Deaf Enterprises breathes new life into vintage furniture, utilising traditional upholstery techniques alongside modern approaches. Their meticulous craftsmanship and dedication to quality have garnered a loyal customer base who appreciate not only the beautiful, restored pieces, but also the social impact behind each stitch. Work has been done for individual long-term, returning customers as well as the Clayton Hotel Group, The Address Hotel, Yugo Accommodation, and UCC. The success of Deaf Enterprises extends beyond its workshop walls. The organisation provides crucial vocational training, helping deaf individuals develop valuable skills and build confidence in the workforce.

Deaf Enterprises strives to be a place of hope and awareness, demonstrating the power of social enterprises to create lasting change. For nearly four decades, they have been stitching together not just furniture, but a brighter future for the deaf community, one reupholstered chair at a time.