DIY SOS TV show to tackle their biggest build yet!

Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS team are back with their Big Build, helping breathe life into a derelict street in East Manchester and create homes and a support centre for war veterans.

The popular BBC One series, which has run for 16 years, tackles its biggest build to date by transforming 62 homes across two streets.

A first-of-its-kind partnership, the project is bringing together Manchester City DIY SOS: Big Build, Manchester City Council; charities Walking With The Wounded and Haig Housing; and Adactus Housing Groups – along with a huge amount of time, expertise, materials and supplies donated to the project by volunteer contractors. In addition, many suppliers, utilities and smaller specialist companies have come forward to help on this biggest ever DIY SOS project.

During the two one hour programmes due to be screened on BBC One on 14 and 21 October at 9pm viewers will see eight of the streets’ empty homes refurbished to create two larger adapted residential homes for veterans and their families, one standard size property for a veteran and a veteran support and advice centre.

At the same time, street scene improvements will provide disabled access parking, a planting scheme will be introduced, and each of the 62 properties on the street will receive a facelift with all the fronts rendered and new front doors and windows. The first group of veterans and their families will move in to newly renovated properties at the end of the build and join the existing community.

Presenter Nick Knowles says: “This time we are doing up five properties and building a support centre as well as doing up the front of two streets. It’s enormous and certainly is one that will quite possibly break us.

“Thanks to the massive support of our partners and the building trade – which continues to amaze us – we might just do it. It’s certainly for a fantastic cause as these veterans have given so much.”

The aim of the project is to create a veterans’ housing community within the existing community, the advice centre will have a private space for therapy and counselling – run by Walking With The Wounded – and provide a space for community use.

Training and employment opportunities are also being developed for veterans and existing residents which will continue the DIY SOS legacy.

DIY SOS: Big Build in Manchester, 14 and 21 October, 9pm BBC One.

MARKMEETS have been online since 2004, and provide the latest UK Entertainment News, celeb interviews, info on film premieres, competitions, movie news, celeb photos, music videos and all things celebrity.