The DIY SOS that transformed more than a building

The army of volunteers who join the BBC DIY SOS team transform more than mere bricks and mortar.

In December 2023, they converted a derelict bungalow in Harlow, Essex, into a modern hub for people struggling with their mental health.

That building and its volunteers are now transforming lives.

Here, three women reveal how ringing the doorbell at Butterfly Effect Wellbeing has helped them take those crucial first steps towards better mental health.

Warning: This article contains details that readers may find distressing.

At the very time the builders were busy bringing the vision of the new hub to life, Avril Green says she was planning her own suicide.

"I was really depressed, lonely and isolated. I'd not seen anyone for so long," she says.

By chance she tuned into the BBC show's Christmas special, where Nick Knowles and his team were piecing together the new headquarters of Butterfly Effect Wellbeing in her hometown of Harlow.

She describes how she made her way to the back gate, rang the bell - and ran off.

"I had not been with people for so long. I didn't know what to say or how to act," she says.

But two volunteers went after her, and she was invited in for a cup of tea and a chat.

It was the beginning of what Ms Green called her own "100% transformation".

She came to play cards, to have a cup of coffee and, most importantly, to talk to people who had had similar experiences.

"I came here as a little, grey-haired old lady and gradually I've transformed into this," she says, sporting brightly-coloured hair.

"Here in this little space, I'm me. I'm Avril. I just love it.

"If it hadn't been for this place, on that day, I probably wouldn't be here. That's how bad I was."

• If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, dedicated help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.

Kate Shilling wears a lanyard that asks people to be patient when she is struggling to speak.

She has an anxiety disorder called selective mutism where she is unable to talk in certain social situations.

Like Ms Green, she heard about the centre after its profile was raised on DIY SOS.

She says she first came to the Butterfly for the walking group because "there was no pressure to talk, which was good".

"All I ever wanted to do was feel safe and secure and feel like people understood me," she says.

She believes Butterfly Effect Wellbeing has helped her find her voice again.

Today she is at the social support group and is playing draughts and 'Name That Tune' with other centre users.

Outside, her voice "just disappears". But here, she says, "I feel accepted".

Lauren Chapman says she had always put a brave face on her anxiety.

"I didn't know who to talk to," she says.

"I wasn't very good at reaching out for help. I kept telling myself 'you'll get better'," she adds.

Things did not get better.

But Ms Chapman also caught the same episode of DIY SOS and she said she found the courage "to get more social".

Unsure of what she might be able to cope with, she decided to start with one of the centre's social and support sessions.

"I've tried different techniques and [the Butterfly] has definitely put things into perspective," she says.

"It has made me self-aware that I do have a problem with anxiety but there are ways to conquer it.

"Even if it is baby steps."

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