An innovative construction business in Warwickshire has lent a hand for DIY SOS and BBC Children in Need as part of a special edition of a much-loved programme.
A chance encounter with the project manager on BBC One’s ‘DIY SOS: The Big Build’ has allowed the Ground Screw Centre to make its mark on one of the programme’s biggest ever projects as part of its BBC Children in Need Special.
The company donated 60 of its 1.6-meter ground screws as well as 250 labour hours and over 400 linear meters of timber joists to help the DIY SOS team complete a lifechanging project for young people in East Yorkshire, which transformed an empty field into an adventure camping site.
The collaboration was only made possible after Director Steve Hawthornthwaite bumped into Mark Millar, who has been a familiar face on the programme for more than 15 years, in a car park in Bristol!
Steve said: “I recognised Mark immediately but didn’t want to bother him about the work we do at the Ground Screw Centre. We only had a brief chat, but before I went home, I left my name and phone number on his car window.
“Ten minutes later my phone rang and it was Mark, who was looking for a way to get around building on a difficult site as part of a big project for Children in Need. We jumped at the opportunity to take part.”
This year’s DIYSOS: Big Build was undertaken for St Michael’s Youth Project in Hull to give children and young people in East Yorkshire the opportunity to escape city life, understand the benefits of nature and improve their wellbeing.
The charity supports those aged five to twenty-four who come from an area of high social and economic disadvantage, while the new facilities aim to challenge poor health and child obesity by improving access to green spaces.
The location now features an outdoor kitchen, nature classroom, camping and storage facilities, bird watching tower, pizza oven, and bike trail.
Steve added: “We provided a foundation solution which prevented the need for excavation and concrete in a sloping woodland area, which allowed the project to go ahead without digging up existing plant life. The foundation supported a modular building and outdoor decking area with an access ramp.
“We are extremely proud the Ground Screw Centre were involved as working with the community is an important part of our company’s philosophy. It was a real privilege to have been able to donate our products and services to such a great cause and look forward to watching the episode when it airs on Tuesday, November 16 on BBC One at 9pm.”
Caption: Steve Hawthornthwaite, Richard Peters, and Robbie Harries of the Ground Screw Centre with Pudsey Bear