Celebrating ten years of DIY SOS' "biggest build" in Peterborough

A children's charity that was given a new home in what was the biggest-ever build for BBC TV's DIY SOS team is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Little Miracles in Peterborough, which helps disabled and life-limited youngsters, needed a new base and Nick Knowles's team stepped in.

The charity is holding a special party this weekend.

"We just want to say thank you to everyone who helped," founder Michelle King said.

"It was crazy. I'm pretty sure the only reason DIY SOS came and built it for us was the families who kept contacting them and broke them down.

"It was just amazing. Not just the team at the time but everyone over the years who has kept the building standing. We wouldn't still be here without the local community."

The DIY SOS team said the build took nine days, 16,000 working hours, 70 different trades and 4,000 cups of tea.

Mrs King added: "With DIY SOS you are never able to know the companies who helped, so it's difficult to invite everyone back to say thank you.

"We just hope we can reach as many people as possible."

Mrs King, whose son Oliver was born with severe disabilities, said she started the charity in 2010 with the belief that "no family should have to feel as alone as I did".

Now it has grown to have 15 branches in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Milton Keynes and it helped 30,000 people last year.

The party is being held at the Peterborough centre in Ravensthorpe on Saturday and anyone who helped with the original build can attend by contacting the Little Miracles website.

"We never dreamed it would be this big," said Mrs King of the project and the charity.

"It's life changing and gives children the opportunity to be children."

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