A resounding: “yes” was the response to a request from the BBC when they wanted a foundation engineering company to help with a special project in Swansea, South Wales.
DIY SOS; The Big Build (presented by Nick Knowles and his team) were organising a special episode for the BBC Charity; Children In Need. They wanted a new build modern centre to help young people in their transition from care into the community.
And Roger Bullivant Limited (RB) jumped at the opportunity to provide the piled solution for the new build. RB has its headquarters in Swadlincote, Derbyshire and also operates out of seven other specialist centres across the UK.
DIY SOS is the BBC’s flagship home renovation programme. It’s been running for 17 years and attracts up to five million viewers an episode in its prime slot on BBC One. The SOS team takes on big build projects for deserving cases and completes them in just nine days.
The focus of this project was to provide a modern support centre, with two to four attached flats, for young people transitioning into adult life. The build was to be completed in September and is scheduled to be broadcast on BBC1 TV on Children in Need night in November.
The overhaul began with the demolition of the existing Roots Foundation property and then the RB team installed 28 x 8 m bottom driven steel cased piles over the course of three days. The RB marketing department adapted the Children in Need mascot to produce their very own Roger the Rig character complete with Pudsey Bear bandana.
The Roots Foundation charity, based in Swansea, was established in August 2011 and aims to support young people in care, care leavers, children in need and adults who have left care with the transition period into independent living. The Foundation has been allocated over £139, 500 in BBC Children In Need funding since 2014 to provide the C.A.R.E (Children at Risk of Exploitation) Project. This offers support to children and young people in care who are at risk of exploitation with the aim of reducing any risk-taking behaviour whilst helping to raise their confidence and increase their skills. BBC Children In Need now funds 15 projects in Swansea with over £1 million hard at work to benefit young lives in the region.
