PARENTS who struggle with DIY can now get a helping hand to keep their children safe in the home.

Cestria Community Housing Association is offering to help tenants with young families who are struggling to fit essential child safety equipment.

The scheme is a partnership between Cestria and the Bullion Lane Children’s Centre, in Chester-le-Street, which is offering vital child safety equipment, such as stair gates, fireguards, cupboard locks and blind cleats to local families.

Tenants who want to take up the offer can in touch by booking in their request in the same way that they would report a repair.

Cestria community engagement officer, Paul Hadden, said: “The children’s centre is providing this equipment free of charge so we thought it would be great if, as an organisation, we could offer to fit some of it for our tenants who might not have the skills or capabilities to do it themselves.

“Hanging a safety gate or fireguard might be just a ten-minute job for our tradesmen, but it’s not for some people who just don’t have the necessary DIY skills or tools.”