November 02, 2023
We’re beyond proud to have been able to support BBC One’s DIY SOS: The Big Build’s recent project in Harlow which involved working with an amazing mental health charity called Butterfly Effect.
After being contacted by the production company earlier this month who were on the lookout for a wide range of suppliers, we were delighted to be able to offer our support and provide the exact quantity of high-quality turf they were after.
Butterfly Effect Well-Being is a Community Interest Company which was set up by Angie Hannibal in 2019 after losing her mum to suicide. Her mum had struggled for years with poor mental health and after she died Angie quit her career to try to help people like her.
Angie runs the group with fellow director Dawn who also lost her brother to suicide and they provide a range of groups designed to bring people together and improve mental health.
Before the build, the charity was operating out of a portacabin given to them by the by the local council, but it was in a state of disrepair and needed extensive internal and external works to make it fit for purpose.
With the help of volunteer trades and donations from local merchants, DIY SOS: The Big Build have turned the unloved space into a warm and welcoming hub, where everyone in the local community can go for help, support and company when they most need it.
George Davies our founder and managing director was invited to attend the big reveal event on the Tuesday 31st October 2023 alongside Customer Services Administrator Dawn Hewitt.
Whilst there they got to meet the show’s presenters Nick Knowles, Gabrielle Blackman and Billy Byrne as well as the charity founders and many of the 150 plus suppliers and tradespeople who also donated essential products and services to the build.
During the day George and Dawn witnessed the filming of the introduction and ending of the programme including Angie and Dawn’s return and reaction to the revamped building. They also got to meet several surprise guests which included cast members from Eastenders.
George said, “I came away from the day with a real sense of wow! It was just amazing to witness the support and commitment from absolutely everyone involved. You see these programmes on TV but it’s impossible to appreciate just what goes into making the projects a reality. They aren’t just makeovers for the camera, everyone puts their heart and soul into it and does a proper job. It was clear how excited and proud people were to be involved, us included but it was also great to speak to the presenters and to see how passionate they are about supporting charities like this and make such life-changing impacts on a community.
Angie and Dawn are so committed to helping local people and this build will enable them to offer more services to even more people who really need help. To be able to say we had a part to play in supporting them to continue this vital work feels simply incredible.”
Presenter Nick Knowles acknowledged everyone’s impact and support on the day and George captured the following snippets from his speech:
“This is not a DIY SOS build, we’re just a little gravity ball that brings people together. This ends up being your build, your community and people from further afield, people who have come from all over the place to come and join in. Someone said to me on one of these, it’s amazing how much giving there is in one go, but in actual fact, just think, you’ve all done one little thing which essentially all comes together to create something amazing and so much can be achieved in a short amount of time.”
George also spoke to Kim who volunteers for Butterfly Effect, she said: “Butterfly Effect is going to help so many people, locally there’s a lot of people that are struggling, whether its mental health or food costs – there’s just so many ways we can help people. Personally, on my level, it’s helping me with my mental health as well and we just want to help as many people as we can.”
The ‘Eastenders special’ programme is due to air at the beginning of December and we’ll be watching eagerly with a mince pie in hand, be sure to tune in and see if you can spot George and Dawn on film.
For more details about Butterfly Effect, you can visit their website here
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