DIY SOS Transforms Beverley Youth Club with Support from Wickes and Local Volunteers
An episode of DIY SOS last night showcased an inspiring transformation for Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre. With support from local businesses such as Wickes, who donated timber and other DIY products, the centre now has a new youth centre.
The Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre is a vital East Yorkshire hub offering free, high-quality advice on a range of things like housing and employment, alongside legal support. They also provide essential community services including a foodbank, community pantry, youth club, housing project, credit union and a preschool.
In the episode, the team focused on transforming The Cherry Tree Community Centre’s youth club, which once provided children with a safe place to play and connect, but during the height of COVID, its building was repurposed as a food pantry, leaving the club without a permanent home. Nearly five years on, the youth club was still relying on a small gazebo in the local park for shelter.
In just eight days, that changed, as volunteers across Beverley came together to support the build, alongside local businesses, including Wickes, who donated essential materials, creating a brand-new youth centre and giving local young people a safe, permanent place they can finally call their own.
Colleagues from Beverley, Hull, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, York, Durham, and Northallerton Wickes stores proudly volunteered on site alongside the DIY SOS team, tradespeople, and local helpers, with Wickes also donating a wide range of products including timber, fences, sheds and other essential DIY materials to help complete the build.
Alison Pearson, Beverley Store Manager at Wickes, said: "I’m thrilled to have been involved in this project, joining forces with the community and other local Wickes stores. Probably one of the best things we've ever done. It was amazing to be part of something as incredible as that, and that’s what true community spirit is all about. Proper teamwork!"
For more information, visit www.wickes.co.uk/communityprogramme
Notes to editor
The Wickes Community Programme has supported over 4,500 charities and projects since its launch and is looking for more to support. They have a product donation fund of £300,000 to support charities and community organisations.
For more information contact the Wickes Community Programme press office:
E-mail: communityprogramme@wickes.co.uk
Tel: 07771 897751 or visit: wickes.co.uk
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About Wickes
Wickes is a digitally-led, service-enabled home improvement retailer. With an extensive range of products and DIY brands, a Kitchen and bathroom design and installation service and a loyalty scheme for local trade, Wickes is the perfect partner to help with both small and large-scale projects. With 230 sites across the UK and an extended range online, it has everything customers need, whether an amateur DIY-er or trade professional.
Our Responsible Business Strategy, ‘Built to Last’, is focused on three pillars - People, Environment and Homes. We are building a business we are proud of, where all our colleagues can feel at home and are empowered to support their communities and customers; we’re supporting the fight against climate change and taking action to protect the natural environment; and we’re helping the nation make their homes more sustainable.
Our Wickes Community Programme comes under our People pillar and aims to support local community groups and charity organisations by providing relevant products to help them with essential maintenance, renovation or to complete new projects. Wickes prides itself on being a part of its local communities and is always looking at ways to make a material difference in the community.