Children in Need Special 2023

In their tenth build for BBC Children in Need, DIY SOS partner up with Radio 2 to build a bespoke counselling and therapy centre for bereaved young people in Risley, Derbyshire. Nick Knowles and his team of volunteer trades and suppliers head to Treetops Hospice, funded by BBC’s Children in Need, for an ambitious Big Build to support and help more children and families experiencing traumatic loss.

With Radio 2 heading to nearby Leicester for the Radio 2 in the Park event, there’s no shortage of help for team DIY SOS. Scott Mills, Zoe Ball and even Sam Ryder – fresh from the stage – don their safety boots, hi-vis and hard hats to get stuck in, while Richie Anderson and Owain Wyn Evans meet some of the brilliant young people who have lost loved ones and will benefit from the new building.

For the DIY SOS team, it’s a monumental challenge, creating a brand new child-friendly counselling centre in what was once just a meadow. Hundreds of local trade volunteers and suppliers get to work building sound-proofed counselling rooms to help a range of ages, a welcoming multifunctional space for the charity’s group therapy projects, a complementary therapy room and an outdoor seating area that celebrates the beautiful surroundings. To declare the building open, Sophie Ellis-Bextor arrives for a special kitchen disco.