The Sandys Parish Rest Home is to be completely renovated through a community effort, which will develop it into a purpose-built facility for the mentally challenged.

Perched over the harbour on West Side Road, the building has sat derelict for years. The Somerset property was brought to the attention of Project 100 by former Health Minister Patrice Minors, who suggested it might fit the charity's stated goal of moving mentally challenged adults from institutions and into residential homes.

Groundbreaking took place in January. A host of local companies provided their services at "deeply discounted rates" to make the estimated $1.2-million project feasible. Among them was Bermuda Project Managers Limited, which offered its services at cost.

"We were looking for the opportunity to get involved, to do something for the community," said BPML's Adam Hawley.

"We wanted to do something a bit different than writing a cheque and in this way we were able to give back and tap off of the resources we have."

The company contacted various suppliers ¿ Benevides and Associates and Araujo Construction each lent expertise to the project at cost.

Added Mr. Hawley: "In the end we're all helping bring this project to fruition at the best price."

The property was donated in trust, to be specifically used for the elderly and as such will be open to mentally challenged persons aged 55 and older.

Judy Panchaud White, co-chair of the Sandys Parish Project and immediate past president of Project 100, said the renovation is part of its ongoing mission to "foster and develop an awareness of the needs of the mentally challenged or learning disabled population in Bermuda; to raise funds for the sole use of eliminating or reducing their needs".

The charity has raised $600,000 for this project alone, and hopes fundraising efforts will secure the necessary balance.

"What we've found over the last decade is that the mentally challenged adults were being housed at what is now called the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MAWI), which is rather archaic," she said, in explaining the reason for the effort.

"In any society people with Down's syndrome etc. are normally in group residential home settings because there's no need for them to be shut away.

"What we've been trying is to provide housing, to move people gradually from MAWI into group home settings with MAWI providing the caregivers to live in the homes and care for the individuals because they all have different levels of need."

MAWI currently has ten dedicated homes, two of which were provided by Project 100 ¿ one in Southampton and another in Pembroke.

"And then we were searching around looking for another home," said Mrs. Panchaud White.

"We were talking with the then-Minister of Health Patrice Minors who put us in contact with the Sandys Parish Council because they had this home which had been derelict for many years and they didn't have the finances to do anything with it.

"It's on West Side Road, a beautiful location overlooking the water with absolutely stunning views. The Council agreed to give us a 25-year lease to recognise the capital outlay we're going to need to put into this building to make it liveable."

Project 100 boasts some 20 members, mainly female, all of whom had no idea how to go about renovating an entire home.

"We've never done anything like this before," the immediate past president stated. "With the previous two homes, we just bought a house and made some slight renovations.

"This one we're basically gutting and starting over again so we needed the expertise of Bermuda Project Managers to help us."

It is anticipated the home will be completed in June, and will accommodate six full-time residents.

"Some people will ask why we're spending all this money for six people," she continued. "Every home in operation right now has roughly five to six persons and we will also have, hopefully, at least two beds available for what we call respite care. In case you're not familiar with the term, it's estimated that we have 120 adults living with their families who have some form of mental disabilities and cannot live on their own.

"Ours is an ageing population. For instance, a person with Down's syndrome may have lived until they were 35 or 40 years ago now they're living into their 60s and beyond.

"So the respite care will allow that parent or grandparent, aunt or uncle ¿ whoever it may be ¿ who currently has the responsibility of that person with a mental handicap to be able to put that person into the facility for a week or two weeks, so that they can go off and have a much-deserved vacation or break from that responsibility."