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Voltimum caught up with Telford-based electrician, Rick Holmes, after he and several other local firms donated their time and expertise to help a 12-year-old boy return to his family home.
We all know trades tend to clash on site. When everyone is focused on getting paid for their job it, more often than not, leaves very little room for consideration of the of the other work going on around them.
That’s why it can be quite refreshing to turn on programmes like the BBC’s DIY SOS and see several trades all pulling together for a good cause.
A few months ago Voltimum caught up with Telford-based electrician, Ricky Holmes, just as he was finishing a project for the show in Telford.
Ricky’s company joined forces with several other local firms to help 12-year-old Matthew return home from the hospital for the first time in three years, after suffering cancer and a stroke.
After his schoolmates campaigned for support, the DIY SOS team responded with a Big Build to help kit his parent's house with the medical equipment both Matthew and his family need.
Ricky told us about his experience.
What did you contribute to the project?
My company donated nine days of labour to the project including an electrician and an electricians mate.
Billy also put me in charge of a lot of the project- making sure the installation was going to plan and on schedule with the other trades.
How was it different to working on a normal site?
It was so different to working on a normal site. Very hectic, but every trade works together. There were no arguments and no fighting over who's getting in first to do their job. All of the other trades were willing to move out of the way and change what they were doing so you can get it and do your job.
Everybody was working together for the same good cause and everybody seemed in a genuine high-spirited mood.
What did it mean to you personally to be involved in this project?
I lost my father to cancer, my mum has had cancer and I have small children of my own. To hear how Matthew went from a normal 10-year old, active boy to being in a wheelchair made me feel so lucky to have healthy children at home. I wanted to help Matthew be able to live at home with the comfort of being around his family and friends and not be in a hospital environment. It gave me the drive to be able to put long hours to get the project complete.
How would you sum up your experience on the project?
Every day, every trade on the site had great banter. It was a pleasure to actually get up in the morning and go to work.
It was a fantastic experience. Meeting new people and great people willing to put their time in to help a family in need.
The food was awesome too! I would 100% do it again.
You can see how Ricky and the other trades got on when the episode is aired on BBC ONE on Thursday night (22nd June).
Have you been involved in any similar projects where trades have worked together for a bigger cause? Share your story in the comment below.