A rowing team donated $1,000 to a charitable drive to turn a former rest home into temporary housing for struggling families after they won an annual east versus west race.

The money was handed over to Habitat for Humanity of Bermuda from the Bermuda Pilot Gig Rowing Club.

Chris Hardy, of cabinet and countertop company Sticks and Stones, which works with Habitat for Humanity, convinced his winning Somerset crew to donate to the charity. He said: “The winners of the race get to donate $1,000 to the charity of their choosing and as I was part of the winning team — Somerset, of course — I proposed Habitat for Humanity, citing the Pembroke Rest Home project as an example to the team.”

The prize money was donated by the Raines family, who have friends who are club members.

Mr Hardy added that his team backed the donation to Habitat for Humanity.

Sheelagh Cooper, the charity’s chairwoman, said last month that renovations to the former rest home were well under way, to create Transformational Living Centre for Families.

The project, spearheaded by Habitat for Humanity and the Women’s Resource Centre, will see the home turned into a residential facility that can cater for mothers and their children.

Families would live there for up to a year, while the women are involved in programmes and services to help them move on with their lives.

Habitat for Humanity of Bermuda was set up to help meet a shortage of adequate and affordable housing. Its website explained: “Increasingly Bermudian families, often those including either young children or the elderly, are struggling to maintain their homes and consequently are living in unsafe, substandard or unhealthy environments.

“The mission of Habitat Bermuda is to assist those living in derelict conditions to make home improvements that will ensure that every Bermudian may live in a safe, secure and healthy home.”

Work carried out by the charity includes fixing leaky roofs, mould removal, broken window and door repairs, as well as major electrical and plumbing repairs.