Sending out an SOS

Sending out

Now in its 16th year, the BBC’s DIY SOS programme has transformed the homes of families across Britain, with help from friends, family and local tradespeople. But what is it like on the inside for the NICEIC and ELECSA contractors who give up their time?

By Andrew Brister

Afirm BBC favourite, DIY SOS is something of a British TV institution. Presented by Nick Knowles, the programme was first aired on 7 October 1999 and is still going strong, nearly 16 years later – something of a rarity in the fickle world of broadcasting.

DIY SOS became DIY SOS: The Big Build in 2010. The show is now a one-hour programme in which the team enlists the help of local trades, suppliers and the wider community to help deserving families. The projects are ambitious and often involve major construction work, such as building a loft conversion or extension.

Many electrical firms have given freely of their time over the years, working alongside the show’s resident electrician Billy Byrne. Of course, it doesn’t do any harm in terms of marketing and publicity to appear on the programme, but that is not the reason that most take part. It’s a chance to give something back to the community and deserving causes, even a bit of a relief from the cut-throat world of contracting and trying to get paid on time. We talk to a few of the firms that have made a diff erence in recent shows.

Live-Link Electrical

Live-Link Electrical happily provided its expertise to the DIY SOS team to provide much-needed help to a family in Swansea. Fifteen-year-old Jack Morris was born with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, which has led to a lifetime of painful operations. As Jack got older, it became impossible for mum Helen to get him upstairs and he was forced to sleep in the living room of their small three-bedroom semi in Swansea. With no other social space in the house, Jack’s brother Daniel rarely brought his friends round and they were spending less time together as a family.

“When we saw the house, with Jack’s hospital bed in the living room, we just had to get involved,” says Live-Link Electrical’s founder and director David Cole. So Nick Knowles and the BBC team, with designer Gabrielle Blackman, set about turning the house into somewhere for Jack to grow into a man with dignity.

The revamped home includes a downstairs extension for Jack to have his own space, a beautiful garden and remodelled rooms for Helen and Daniel. The project included a full rewire of the existing property, wiring of the

‘Billy Byrne enjoys golf so we gave him a game and showed him Swansea’s fi ne landscape, and Nick Knowles kindly got the drinks in to say thank you’

an SOS

of the extension and electrics for the garden outbuildings, as well as some garden lighting.

“We were so glad that we were able to help the family in their time of need,” says Cole. “We were only a small part of what was created for the family, which will now help improve their lives. We had the pleasure of working alongside other South Wales trades who all worked extremely hard to get the job done in nine days.” With 88 contractors putting in some long days, it was challenging, but rewarding, work.

“We did have a bit of time where we were able to relax from the project and get to know the DIY SOS team a little better,” says Cole. “Billy Byrne enjoys golf so we gave him a game and showed him Swansea’s fine landscape, and Nick Knowles kindly got the drinks in to say thank you for all the hard work. Live-Link is very proud to have been a part of this very special event. Giving the house back to the family and seeing their reaction was amazing; something that will remain with us for ever.” > Far left : Live-Link Electrical’s David Cole with DIY SOS presenter Billy Byrne. Above: the Spinney Centre (top left ) and the HE Simm and DIY SOS teams at the Norris Green Youth Centre in Liverpool

Bloom & Wake

Six engineers from electrical contractor Bloom & Wake helped transform the Spinney Centre, Peterborough. The centre is used by Little Miracles, which supports families struggling with diff iculties ranging from babies born prematurely or with disabilities to mums suff ering post-natal depression.

“One of our employee’s stepdaughters has a disability and uses the centre so we were made aware of the project through him,” says Melanie Mattless, off ice manager at the

Cambridgeshire-based contractor.

“Six of our engineers helped out for the two-week project. It was a lot of hard work because there was not much space, but it was very rewarding.” The team put in 70-hour weeks to make sure the project was finished on schedule.

The charitable work does not stop there. One of the firm’s fourthyear apprentices, Billy Lee, 20, was recently diagnosed with bone cancer in his thigh. He has been hospitalised since November last year and has undergone some gruelling chemotherapy but, unfortunately, this did not shrink his tumour and his leg had to be amputated. Billy and his family now have another battle to raise £70,000 for a prosthetic limb to enable him to rebuild his life (www.gofundme. com/Billyon2feet).

HE Simm

Liverpool-based M&E specialist HE Simm has appeared on the programme twice in recent years. The contractor provided 15 electricians to install an entirely new electrical system in a major rebuild of Liverpool’s Norris Green Youth Centre back in 2011, and last year helped to

finish a home extension for a disabled young girl as part of a DIY SOS project in Bury.

Norris Green Youth Centre started out as an Old Boys’ Club over 50 years ago. Over time, despite providing vital services to young people in the area, the building became in desperate need of repair. In what was the programme’s biggest-ever project at the time, HE Simm worked alongside several local companies in a 10-day build to renovate the dilapidated youth centre in one of the most deprived parts of Liverpool; a project that would normally take around six months to complete and cost in the region of £1 million.

“As a local company trading over 60 years we wanted to make a contribution to the community and were delighted to be able to get involved,” says managing director Gareth Simm. “The centre has a long history and it’s great that the refurbishment means many more young people will get the chance to benefit from the potentially lifechanging opportunities it can now off er. We’re really proud of all the staff who worked literally non-stop throughout the project. They really enjoyed getting stuck in and meeting Billy Byrne, Nick Knowles and all the DIY SOS team.”

The project in Bury saw dozens of builders, electricians and plumbers working together to adapt a family home and provide accessible facilities for a six-year-old girl called Maddie. HE Simm has overseen the plumbing and heating, joining a raft of other businesses in providing services, supplies and labour free of charge.

“We were absolutely delighted to be invited to get involved with this project and to play a small part in making a big diff erence to Maddie’s quality of life,” says HE Simm supervisor Jimmy Doyle. “She suff ers from dystonia and an undiagnosed brain disease. Her family had started renovating their house to make it more accessible, with but certainly very worthwhile. The build will allow the family to relax and enjoy their future in the knowledge that Maddie has got the best home care facilities possible.”

a downstairs wet room, bedroom and en-suite bathroom for Maddie, who has to use a wheelchair. But, due to unforeseen building costs, and the cost of care and treatment for Maddie, they were unable to complete the renovation, leaving it unfinished.

“The project itself took 10 days to complete and there was a great atmosphere throughout,” he adds. “It was a real team eff ort with up to 80 people on site each day – everyone has pulled together and the reveal was a proud moment both for us and the family. It has been a unique experience working to such a tight deadline and under the glare of the TV cameras,

‘It has been a unique experience working to such a tight deadline and under the glare of the TV cameras, but certainly very worthwhile’

> Staff of Comserv with members of the DIY SOS team

Comserv

The electrical arm of Hampshire-based social housing repairs and maintenance firm Comserv has helped adapt the home of Hanaagh and Mike Smith and their two young disabled twins Reuben and Zachary. The twins were born prematurely at 29 weeks and Reuben was later diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, while Zachary is severely deaf and has had meningitis twice.

The DIY SOS team adapted the family home in Whiteley, Hampshire to meet the changing needs of the boys as they grow up. The house was tiny and the cramped conditions were making life extremely diff icult and at times dangerous for the growing boys. The build included the completion of a single-storey extension in just nine days and Comserv was responsible for the electrical installation.