Wallasey man thanks community ‘heroes’ after house fire

Ant Ryan lost most of his Wallasey home and personal belongings after a devastating house fire in September 2023 the same week he was due to undergo a heart procedure.

To make matters worse, the damage was not covered by his insurer due to a technicality.

Damage to Ant's home (Image: PR)

However, following the damage to his family home, local business owners and friends came together to help him.

Lesley Owens, Finance Director of DACS, a North Wales design and manufacturing company that installs automation and electrical systems, has been at the company for 14 years and is a close friend of the family.

When Lelsey heard about the fire and Ant’s insurance not covering him, she and her daughter Jade went over to the house with donations of clothes and other essentials.

Lesley said: “They said they couldn’t even offer us a cup of tea as they had no electricity and explained about all the wires melting in the fire. That got me thinking whether DACS could help in any way.

“I spoke to my Managing Director, Jon Gray, and also Alan and Christine Guilfoyle of EES Limited and asked if we could share the burden of costs between us and help them out.

The damage caused by the fire (Image: PR)

“Alan and Christine were happy to help, so Alan went over to survey the damage and determine the work required, and it went on from there. It was heart warming to see them go from no hope to hope.”

DACS provided two labourers to assist in stripping out the rooms, removing all of the damaged furniture and debris, as well as four skips in which to dispose of it, and all the new electrical materials required, including new hardwired smoke detectors.

EES Limited provided electricians to hack walls, strip out and install new wiring where required and fitted a new distribution board.

Dave Burdett, who owns DB Windows in Wallasey, kindly replaced a uPVC window and reglazed a second at his own expense. Many others personally donated essentials that were lost in the fire and donated money to help out.

Ant in particular thanks Pauline Carroll for her support, Maria and Lesley for their clothing donations, Steven Jones for quickly getting the power turned back on and Paul Stanley for his discounted work on the damaged roof.

Ant said: “I am extremely grateful for all the generosity and commitment to helping us get through this challenging period.

“These acts of compassion serve as a shining example of the strength and unity within our community. In the face of adversity, humanity and empathy can make a lasting impact. 

“I extend my heartfelt appreciation to those above and everyone who supported us during this difficult time.”