Freckleton DIY SOS volunteers are smashing it, designer says
"Essentially we have to get a family back together," he said."Dan's been able to come home for two years medically, but they haven't been able to get him home because they haven't been able to adapt the house for him. "The amount of work that's needed is beyond any grant that is available and it would take another two or three years to fundraise."
Interior designer, Gabby Blackman, said about 150 volunteers were working at the site.She said it looked like an "anthill of workers" and the next week was "going to be really intense"."Today we've got to really smash it," she said.
She said: "We've got the plumbers, electricians, all the first-fix team have got to do two days worth of work in one."All the volunteers were "absolute heroes", she added.
"I can't believe we've only been here for one day, it feels like a month," Ms Blackman said."What was achieved [on Wednesday], in a very long, very tough day, was something we've never attempted before. "I can't ruin the surprise, but it was absolute madness. "We worked late into the night, but we have achieved something amazing."She added: "The talent, the graft, the resilience that it requires to pull off a feat like that in construction is amazing and I'm hugely proud of everyone."What a turnout, what a community, what a team."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Naked Attraction host Anna Richardson details her experience dating both men and women as she reveals which gender she finds easier to be in a relationship with
Naked Attraction host Anna Richardson has revealed which gender she finds easier to date as she reflected on dating both men and women. Anna split from former Bake Off host Sue Perkins, 53, in June 2021 after eight years together, with a source stating at the time that they were both 'devastated'. She has been dating charity boss Simon Perkins since October 2022 after they met through mutual friends - whom she says brought 'a huge injection of energy' to her love life. Reflecting on her time dating both men and women, Anna explained to The Sun that being with a man is 'less complicated and less emotional'. She explained that being with a man is a 'cliché' as she quipped that 'as long as you feed them and let them watch footie' then they are happy. Anna told the publication: 'Dating a guy is, in some ways, less complicated'. 'Dating a woman means you understand each other implicitly because you're both female. 'Both parties understand that they're emotional creatures. This can be very challenging and intense, but also very exciting.' Anna was previously with partner Charles Martin for 18 years prior to beginning a relationship with Sue in in 2013 after meeting at a Halloween party. At the time of her break-up with Sue, a source told The Sun: 'It's really sad. Both Anna and Sue are devastated. 'We're all hoping they can patch things up and sort out their differences but for now it appears to be all over.' Meanwhile, in May 2022, the TV star admitted that 'you never get used to heartbreak' following their split in a revealing interview. The presenter spoke to OK magazine about love as well as her fears of growing older, admitting she's 'filled with dread' at the prospect of what could happen in the future. She explained: 'I suppose I don't know whether you become more resilient as you get older, but heartbreak is still that mystery that needs to be solved, and how you get over it and become stronger'. The couple, who dated for eight years, allegedly parted ways after Sue's reluctance to start a family, with Anna previously revealing she had thought about adopting a child and felt that 'time is running out' for her to do so. Anna went on to reveal, 'it's a really fundamental and visceral realisation [if you haven't had children] that, 'Oh my God, I can't do that anymore.' Even if I wanted to.' She added that she feels 'slow, inexorable dread' when she thinks about the next 30 years of her life, saying: 'It seems to be a bit of a decline. And it's very, very difficult.' MailOnline exclusively revealed in June 2022 that nobody else was involved in Sue and Anna's decision to split, which the couple made with 'a heavy heart'. A source said: 'The split is as amicable as these things can ever be. After so long together it wasn't an easy decision to make and they both did so with heavy hearts. 'But Sue and Anna are determined to remain friends and keep in touch. Nobody else is involved and now the pair are throwing themselves into work.' It was reported Anna moved out of their shared £2million North London home to live in Staffordshire to be close to her mum, who is caring for her father who is suffering from dementia. Speaking to The Telegraph in 2015 about the start of her romance with Sue, Anna explained she had known Sue for years, but it was a meeting her at a party after her separation from Charles, that made her realise she felt something more than just friendship. She gushed: 'When I was invited to the party, I was told Sue would be going and I felt, what, a frisson? A spark of interest? And I thought: 'Hmm, that's interesting'. There was something in the air. 'It was an extraordinary night. I was dancing on the table. It felt like a defining moment in my life.' She wasn't keen on giving herself a label in regards her sexuality at the time, after she had previously spent almost two decades with a man. 'For me, it's just a case of I am who I am. I'm not interested in being labelled gay or straight, my sexuality is fluid. I just happen to have fallen in love with a woman - simple as that,' she explained.
The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ella Toone's emotional tribute to late father moments after Euro 2025 final win
Ella Toone paid tribute to her late father Nick moments after England won Euro 2025, in what was the midfielder's first trophy since he passed away in September last year. Toone was in tears after England's shootout victory over Spain and looked towards the sky as she was hugged by Alessia Russo, Keira Walsh and Alex Greenwood. Toone later posted on Instagram that there happened to be a spare seat next to her mum during the final, adding: 'If that's not a sign I don't know what is'. The 25-year-old also uploaded a picture with Beth Mead, who lost her mother June to ovarian cancer 18 months ago, saying: 'We did it for our angels in the sky'. Toone and Mead have shared a special bond during the tournament by supporting each other through grief and posed with their Euro 2025 medals. 'My dad, I went up to see my family and my mum she said there was a spare seat next to her,' Toone later said. 'He was there and that was the sign I was looking for today. My family, my dad, everyone who has got me here today, they have been my support network from the very start.' Manchester United midfielder Toone is now a two-time European champion with England after starting the Euro 2025 final against Spain. 'The girls who have won twice, for the ones who've never won it before, I'm so happy for them,' captain Leah Williamson said. 'What an honour to be in this time. 'I believe it but I'm struggling. Everything we say, try and live by, we do, and every single person who shows up every time. We stuck to the game plan. 'So many players that have done so much, they give everything, before we even get to the football bit. 'I feel I should be saying something monumental, but I just don't have the words. I'm so proud, and I feel so lucky. Everyone turned up today, and that's what happens. It's staying home.'
BBC News
17 minutes ago
- BBC News
Kent filmmaking scheme to 'nurture new generation' of talent
An event in "celebration of local film talent" is being hosted to create filmmaking opportunities and a short film competition for Kent-based directors and Ashford, a collaboration between Screen South and Ashford Borough Council (ABC), said it seeks to "support the local industry and nurture a new generation" of filmmakers following its launch in said three short films from local artists will be shown at the free event, followed by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers and networking is set to take place at the Ashford Cinema from 19:00 BST on Wednesday, 30 July. Screen Ashford's past events have included film workshops, screenings and a 48-hour film challenge with entries planned, shot and edited within two days."These activities have reached over 1,500 participants across Ashford, with a focus on young people aged 14–35 and underrepresented groups," a spokesperson from Ashford Borough Council scheme has supported creating four locally commissioned films, with each previous short film winner receiving £3,000 to bring their pitches to said it has also helped build a grassroots screen hub at The Ashford Cinema in Elwick took over the site after Picturehouse said it would be leaving the cinema, with the council rebranding and opening its doors in early Nolan, managing director at Screen South, said: "[The scheme] has been absolutely instrumental in showcasing the diverse range of creative voices in Ashford and the surrounding community."Funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which provides £2.6bn in government funding for local investment and upskilling in communities and businesses by March this year, is used to support the year-round programme.
