NEWS EXTRA
DIY SOS BBC Children in Need special comes to Caswell Bay, Swansea
The BBC One programme will feature a Swansea based charity, supported by BBC Children in Need, which offers disabled children and young people the opportunity to learn how to surf
DIY SOS, BBC One’s popular property renovation show, will head to Caswell Bay in September to take on a one of a kind build that will benefit a local charity, Surfability UK. DIY SOS: The Big Build BBC Children in Need Special (working title) will see Nick Knowles, with his trusty team including Mark, Chris, Jules, Billy and designer Gabrielle Blackman, build a new centre and convert Surfability UK’s current base – a dilapidated out of use bus stop shelter - into a state of the art eco-friendly surf centre. Surfability UK is the UK’s first fully- inclusive surf school, set up by Ben Clifford in 2013. Ben was determined to break down conceptions that disabled people are unable to surf and is now a world leader in new teaching methods and safety techniques. Surfability UK supports more than 500 people per year
8 DIY WEEK AUGUST 2020
from across the UK and thanks to Ben and his team of Toby, Benedict, Nathan and Tom, disabled people now have the opportunity to take to the waves. The DIY SOS team, with the help of kind trade volunteers, have big plans. Firstly, they will renovate Surfability’s current space - a run down, disused bus shelter, which is often flooded, with no electricity, running water or ventilation, into a dry, well designed wet suit and surf board storage unit. In addition, the team will also build a new innovative and of architectural merit, Surf Centre. The new Surf Centre will provide a much needed space to provide support and surfing opportunities to disabled people from across the UK. Ben Clifford, Director of Surfability UK said: “We are so stoked to hear that DIY SOS and BBC Children in Need are going to be building a new purpose built surf
centre for us. We started operating from a van in 2013, then in 2016 got our current building. We have loads of problems with flooding, the plaster is all falling off and it just isn’t suitable for our needs, and those of the people that we support. We are so excited for this build, which will take our operations to the next level, benefiting so many disabled people here in Wales and across the entirety of the UK.” Nick Knowles, Presenter of BBC One’s DIY SOS said: “We are enormously proud and pleased to announce that we are combining with BBC Children in Need and the wonderful disability surfing charity Surfability UK to build them new facilities on the beautiful Welsh coast.” Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive of BBC Children in Need added: “We’re delighted that Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS team will heading to Caswell Bay in Swansea in September for another
spectacular Big Build BBC Children in Need Special. We know this build will make a huge difference to the lives of children and young people and not only support those in South Wales, but from all over the UK too.” BBC Children in Need has funded Surfability UK since 2015. Their current three-year grant of £120,000 provides surf-based activities for disabled children and young people which help to improve their emotional wellbeing and supports them to better express themselves whilst equipping them with the skills needed to overcome the individual challenges that they may face.
Building work will be carried out in line with Health and Safety guidelines issued by the government relating to the Covid- 19 pandemic. The episode will broadcast in November 2020 as part of BBC Children in Need’s 40th celebrations.
www.diyweek.net
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