AN army of volunteers led by the team from BBC One’s DIY SOS have completed work altering the home of a father-of-two from Avening who was left paralysed from the neck down after a swimming pool accident.
Nick Knowles and his team had issued a call to arms in May in the hope of recruiting local people and traders to help transform the home of Ben Wernham, his partner Ella, eight-year-old step-daughter Olivia and two-year-old daughter Iris.
Ben slipped while he was playing with his two children on holiday in Cyprus last April, breaking his neck in three places.
Ben Wernham and his daughter Olivia
He is now coming to terms with living life as a tetraplegic – the complete or partial loss of use of all four limbs and torso.
To move Ben home from hospital, the team needed to build an extension and kit out his house with the right equipment.
715 backers saw more than £36,000 raised via a fundraising page on Go Get Funding, while almost 63,500 was donated offline for the project.
Contributions came in thanks to charity fun days, hikes and challenges via a vast array of residents and business from across Gloucestershire.
Volunteer tradesmen worked tirelessly during last week's heatwave
A statement on the fundraising page, prior to the work beginning on June 13, said: “Ben is now finally in Salisbury Spinal Unit, and after numerous chest infections and months on a ventilator, he is able to breathe by himself, which is major step for somebody with Ben’s level of injury.
“He’s also well enough to spend time in a specialised wheelchair most days.
“The accident has been life changing for all the family – adapting to this new life will be challenging.
“Ben is a young and strong man who has a real determination to get home to Ella and the girls.
“To achieve this, there is an extremely long road ahead so that the family can be together again.
“Ben will require specialist care, so there also needs to be plenty of room to accommodate a carer.
“This is a HUGE undertaking, the support from the community in Avening and the surrounding areas where Ben lives has been amazing and we hope you can be too, we need your help to BRING BEN HOME!!”
Footsure Western Ltd (FWL), based in Gloucestershire, donated £1,500 of safety shoes to some of the volunteers involved.
“I am very humbled to be able to contribute to the project in the village where I live,” said Hayley Paget, who lives in Avening and is an employee of FWL.
Emily Chamberlayne and Hayley Paget of Footsure Western Ltd sending off boots to the DIY SOS team
“We provided lightweight breathable safety trainers, tough waterproof safety boots and dealer boots.
She said: “I was up days and evenings offering an extra pair of hands in the garden and making sure this fantastic team of volunteers had bottles of water for what was some very tough days in the sun.
“This is an amazing achievement and I am very proud to be part of it. Lots of tears shed on Thursday (June 22) when Ben arrived to see the build,” she added.
You can still donate to the fundraiser at gogetfunding.com/best4ben.
Ben’s episode of DIY SOS will be aired later on in the current series.
DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles (centre) with Lady Bathurst (left) and Ellie Harrison
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here