Nick Knowles on his DIY SOS project for Pudsey
JESSICA RANSOM
Nick Knowles on teaming up with Pudsey for an incredible project
For the past 20 years, Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS team have been transforming the homes of families in need and rejuvenating community spaces across the UK.
Few are more deserving, though, of a warm, comfortable place to stay than homeless youngsters.
So, in a special episode for Children in Need, DIY SOS is heading to Blackburn, Lancashire, to convert the rundown St Silas church hall into accommodation and a support centre for Nightsafe, a charity that helps young people aged 16 to 24 who are homeless or vulnerably housed.
Here, TV Times chats to Nick,
57, about the ambitious project that provides much-needed sanctuary and could also save lives…
What was the brief for this build? Children in Need asked if we could build some night accommodation for Nightsafe, a charity that looks after homeless young people in and around Blackburn. But we thought we could do better than that! Inside, we built six selfcontained flats, a communal area, a huge kitchen and storerooms, too. It was a vast undertaking and it took us two weeks, not nine days, which is a bit of a letdown for us! But it was so worthwhile given who we’d be looking after.
So many people offered to help you on the project – was that humbling?
We’re always humbled by the people who turn up to help and give us stuff for nothing. We’ll talk to a kitchen manufacturer about needing a £35,000 kitchen and they ask, ‘Will you mention our name in the programme or in the end titles?’ And we say, ‘No’. They reply, ‘Will we get anything out of it at all?’ And we answer, ‘No’. Then they go away, think about it and send us a £45,000 kitchen instead!
On this show, we have plasterers, decorators, plumbers and all sorts; just the most extraordinary group of people coming together to make a change.
What particular challenges did you face along the way?
On the very first day, a few people cancelled, meaning we didn’t have enough builders. So we put out an appeal and builders came from Cornwall, Scotland, South Wales and all over to join in. Also, just the sheer scale of the build caused problems. Sourcing over 4km of timber from local timber yards was really difficult.
Tell us about some of the young people you met during filming… We do speak to some young people who’ve been through Nightsafe, who were homeless. One young lad, Callum, is a plasterer, who actually takes part in the build. Nightsafe got him safely off the streets, got him into education and retraining. Callum told all the builders that he wouldn’t have been there if it hadn’t been for Nightsafe and that they were building something that would save people’s lives.
It was hugely emotional.
What do you fear might happen if a place like this didn’t exist?
These young people are already being targeted by gangs, because they’re vulnerable and there’s nobody looking after them. They’re abused and beaten on the streets and they’re terrified. Without Nightsafe stepping in, as they do,
there would be a lot more children falling into crime and sexual exploitation. There will always be a need for places like this, but it is worrying when you think of the number of young people sleeping rough every night in this country. It’s disgraceful.
What are you most proud of about being involved in this build for Children in Need? Everybody thinks DIY SOS is a building show, but what it’s doing is gently shining a light on the people who fall through the cracks in our society. If we can’t start with children – our most vulnerable – then we’ve got things wrong. This transformed church hall already has one person off the streets and there will be more going in any day now. It’s making a difference already. It’s a proper facility doing genuine good and will continue to do so for years to come.
How does Morwenna and Al’s wedding go?
Not without incident! Morwenna’s parents don’t make it, and because she has no one to give her away she turns to the Doc [Martin Clunes]. Their relationship has always been fine but not affectionate, so asking him to do something so personal is tricky for them both.
What is Janice like as maid of honour?
Janice almost behaves more like a bride than Morwenna because she’s concerned about making sure she’s got a tan and looking nice. It seems like Morwenna is there to support Janice rather than the other way around!
Did you choose Morwenna’s dress?
The costume designer and I spent ages trawling the internet, and when we found it we both instantly went, ‘That’s the one.’ It’s from French
Connection.
Morwenna always dresses in a pretty bonkers way, so we wanted it to be like her, but a bit toned down. But she’s still got flowers on her head – she’s still rocking her usual quirky headgear.
You’re married in real life. Was it nice to put on a wedding dress again?
It was fabulous! It was funny because you forget you’re wearing it. I’m just at work so I got over the initial excitement of putting it on fairly rapidly and was mainly concerned about not spilling soup on it! But people are so pleased to see you in a wedding dress. My two sons came on set, and Frank, who is three, was quite confused but also fairly awestruck by it. Now he’s got the headband in his dressing-up box.
Joe’s children were on set, too, weren’t they?
Yes, Joe had got married a few weeks before, so he was literally doing it all again. His kids were there as extras so I went over and said, ‘I’m really sorry for marrying your dad when he’s just got married to your mum!’