DIY SOS

Ex-fireman Gareth and his wife Mary live with their three children just north of Morpeth in Northumberland. Their 18-year-old daughter Bobbie has complex medical and mental health issues that require constant care. Mary has suffered a stroke and now has ongoing issues with her balance and needs help to look after Bobbie. Grandmother Carol helps out but now has to also looks after great-grandmother Doreen, who has early-stage dementia. This loving family rely heavily on each other but need a house that works for all of them.

Help is on hand as Nick Knowles, the DIY SOS team and top designer Gabrielle Blackman put out a call to local tradespeople and volunteers. Together they completely redesign the house, add an extension and create a home that works for everyone.

Sue's family have lived in Fegg Hayes, Stoke, for six generations. To help tackle issues of food poverty, isolation and mental health in the area, she set up a charity, Sylvester's. They have taken over a patch of wasteland in the heart of the community with the aim of creating a community centre and garden with room to grow vegetables and space where old and young can share knowledge and experiences.

Nick Knowles, the DIY SOS team and designer Sian Astley are determined to get the job done, and not even three of the worst storms to hit Britain in recent years is going to stop them. A straightforward build turns into a battle against the elements, but they are determined to help this community to help themselves.

Peter, a former car mechanic, is the primary carer for his family 24/7. His wife Sarah and daughter Suzanne are both suffering from myotonic dystrophy, a long-term genetic disorder that affects muscle function. Peter also looks after his elder brother Steve.

Peter started building an extension to adapt the house to everyone's growing needs, but the pressure of looking after his family and trying to complete the build has got too much. There just aren't enough hours in the day, and now his own health has taken a turn for the worse. He is unable to finish the build, and the family's future is in genuine jeopardy.
The DIY SOS team and hundreds of volunteers from near and far set to work, battling through stormy weather to finish what Peter started.

Tragedy has been a part of life for Caroline Blanchard and her children Reece and Paige. Caroline has twice had to make the heart-wrenching decision to turn off life support for people she loves, first in 2007 after her daughter Natasha suffered severe head injuries in an accident in their garage, and then four years later after husband Paul had a heart attack in their conservatory.

Now she, Reece and Paige have to live in the shadow of their grief: the garage and the conservatory where the two cruel tragedies occurred. But help is at hand. Nick Knowles and his band of volunteers, along with award-winning garden designer Arit Anderson, are on a mission to renovate the home, including demolishing the garage and conservatory so that Caroline can be free of the painful reminders and make a fresh start.