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santa's workshop
Irish building apprentices deliver handmade toys to children's charities
The Sisk & Son construction company has been making toys for charities at Christmas for the last 40 years.
IRISH APPRENTICES HAVE been delivering toys they made to children’s charities this week ahead of Christmas.
The John Sisk & Son construction company started its toy project more than 40 years ago. Today it has a training facility for apprentice carpenters and joiners in Dublin and this is where their Christmas workshop is located each year.
Work on the toys starts in mid-November and suppliers provide materials like wood and fixings at special rates.
When the toys are finished, the apprentices – some dressed in Santa suits – load the toys into and deliver them to charities all across the country.
They also gift toys to a number of UK charities.
Training centre manager Dave Tracey said the tradition has gone from strength to strength over the last four decades.
“The toys are handmade by our apprentice carpenters and joiners, utilising the skills taught to them at our training centre in Dublin. The toys are donated to deserving causes all around Ireland, the UK and further afield,” he said.
“This our way of giving something back to the communities that have supported us throughout the year.
“The talented apprentices that built these toys are the future of the construction industry and it’s clear to see the satisfaction they get from being involved in such a positive project. At the end of their training, these apprentices will have a skill set that will last a lifetime and enable them to work anywhere.”
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