30 charitable tradespeople transform the home of a terminally ill electrician
2-minute read
30 builders packed up their tools to help make life easier for a fellow tradesman suffering from motor neurone disease.
In 2014, electrician Jamie Thomas was diagnosed with the terminal condition. Aged just 45, doctors gave him only three years to live.
But Jamie beat the doctors’ expectations. And now the charity Band of Builders have renovated his house so it’s accessible, making it easier for him to play outside with his three young children.
The Band of Builders worked tirelessly
The Daily Mail reports that 30 builders from the Band of Builders worked on the 49-year-old property over the course of eight days – and, at one point, through heavy rain.
It was largely kept secret from Jamie, who told the Daily Mail he only had an “inkling” about the work they were doing.
Jamie’s illness means he’s confined to a motorised wheelchair, so he needs space that’s easily accessible. Jamie said: “They've done the front, they've done the drive, they've done the shed.
“All these little jobs that I wanted to do but obviously couldn't and couldn't afford to have done. It's just staggering.”
The renovations made by the Band of Builders mean that Jamie can go about his usual daily life far more easily than he could before.
What work did the Band of Builders do?
The charity undertook extensive work on Jamie’s property. They fitted new ramps in the garden and planted more plants. They redesigned the home’s interiors, too, and gave the kitchen a makeover to accommodate Jamie’s wheelchair.
What other projects have the Band of Builders worked on?
Tradesman Addam Smith formed the Band of Builders to support his colleague Keith Ellick, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Keith sadly passed away in 2017.
Since the group’s formation, they’ve continued to help those in need – in the last 12 months, they've completed seven projects to help tradespeople and their families. Here are some examples of their amazing work:
- Addam Smith and a group of volunteers renovated Keith Ellick’s house in 2016. This was the project that started it all. In one week, they fitted a new kitchen, a new bathroom, some new flooring, decorated the house, and landscaped the front and back gardens
- Two-year-old Pippa Atkinson has one of the most painful skin conditions, which means her mum can’t cuddle her. The Band of Builders clubbed together in 2018 to give her family an £8,000 extension, making life easier for Pippa
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