NEW Girl POWER!
Nick Knowles on building a new home for Leeds charity Getaway Girls...
Q Can you tell us about this project, Nick?
A We came together for an organisation that does extraordinary things for young women and girls in the Leeds area, but they didn’t have a facility to be able to help more. We were able to bring the construction industry together, and volunteers, and as a result there’s a fantastic new facility, so they’ll be able to help a lot more people.
Q What was it like meeting Flavia, the director of Getaway Girls?
A The great thing about our programme is we can shine a light on amazing people who dedicate their lives to helping others. Flavia doesn’t like to be up front and in the spotlight – even when we were revealing the building and telling her how amazing she is, she was trying to shrink back into the crowd!
Q Were there any unexpected challenges?
A We had the terrible news of the death of the Queen at the start. Having worked with lots of royals over the years, I was sure she wouldn’t have wanted the facility not to have been built because of the funeral, so we were respectful and marked it, but pressed on and got it done.
Q You had some Radio 2 DJS coming down to help out…
A They got stuck in and brought a lot of good ideas!
Spoony suggested the way we were about to build something in the media room would work a lot better if we shifted things round. Rylan brought tooth whitener and hairspray, but also an attitude to join in, and it worked very well! During the reveal, Zoe Ball walked in live on Radio 2!
Q Is it hard not to cry during the big reveal?
A The question I get asked the most is how do I hold it together on the reveal days. The truth is, I don’t! But it is all about the people who’ve done the build and the ones who are receiving it. If I feel emotional, I go off camera until I’ve got myself together, then carry on!