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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Christine Smith

Heartbreaking DIY:SOS as volunteers ensure girls are finally given safe haven

Calls come in all the time, ­sometimes every few minutes, from scared, desperate women searching for a lifeline, a way out of the horror they are trapped in.

Many have been through domestic violence or abuse, others homelessness or being lured into gangs. Some face more than one of those at the same time.

Others are feeling isolated, exhausted from being a carer or are a scared and confused refugee.

But, when they need it, there is someone to lend a helping hand, a soothing voice on the other end of the phone at charity Getaway Girls.

The scale of the problem now is such that the small terraced house in Leeds the charity started out in 35 years ago – and the rental space they now use – is no longer capable of coping with the help they need to provide.

Enter Nick Knowles and The Big Build for Children in Need, airing on Wednesday night, in which a team of volunteers builds a new space for them.

Nick Knowles (right) and Scott Mills (left) are part of a DIY SOS special for Children in Need this year (Publicity Picture)

The presenter says: "Getaway Girls desperately need a place to call home. The charity has an important role to play caring for young girls in distress and a role to play for women facing ­unspeakable challenges.

"It has been making sure women in the area feel empowered and safe. But they had outgrown their premises and there has never been a greater need for the protection this building will provide."

After taking a year's break from the show, Nick – who has hosted it since its first episode in 1999 makes an emotional return in the DIY SOS special.

He was temporarily replaced by Rhod Gilbert 12 months ago after he breached BBC rules by appearing in a Shreddies advert featuring him as a builder.

But with the dispute resolved, Nick is back fronting ­ Children in Need 's most star-studded special yet as he and his gang help transform a derelict site into a new HQ complete with its own music and media production hub, creche and fully fitted kitchen.

They're tasked with transforming a derelict site into a new headquarters for Leeds-based charity Getaway Girls (Publicity Picture)

The charity, set up 35 years ago, is a haven for girls and young women who face a range of ­challenges. It provides support to newly arrived refugees.

Joined by some of Radio 2 's biggest stars, including Zoe Ball, Scott Mills, Jo Whiley and Rylan Clark, Nick and his team vow to make a difference.

The visibly moved presenter explains on the show: "Everyone is pulling together to make a ­positive change at a time when abuse, violence and exploitation of young women is widespread."

Charity director Flavia Doherty adds: "Women are really struggling.

"We've had times where we have no idea who is going to take the young woman. It's hard. If it was your daughter, you wouldn't want her to go somewhere it is not safe to stay."

Her support worker colleague Alison Chandler admits: "I've gone home and I've cried at times thinking about it."

Emeli Sande (left) and Jo Whiley (right) are also involved in the Children in Need project (Publicity Picture)

But there are lighter moments in the show, ­especially when Rylan arrives dressed in white, wearing a pink hi-viz waistcoat.

As Nick explains, the hard work he and the team put in is more than worth it especially as Getaway Girls also tries to empower the women to build a new life by boosting their confidence and self-esteem. One of the ways they do this is by running music and singing classes.

And for one woman, Shadz – now a trained dancer – the classes proved a godsend when she first arrived at the charity struggling with terrible nerves and anxiety. She recalls how angst stricken she used to feel by revealing she couldn't even leave the house.

They're joined by other celebrities including Zoe Ball (centre right) for the project (Publicity Picture)

Shadz explains: "It was not even just the house, it was not being able to leave the bed, feeling guilty and beating myself up about that. It (the charity) makes you feel you can go through it. Just being in a room (together) has been beautiful".

Young mum Alice agrees. She says: "I was pretty lost. I was quite nasty. I pushed everyone away. This is why I find Getaway Girls so important.

"Whilst I was going through the pregnancy, it wasn't just 'Oh I am a single mum, I am failing,' but I also didn't feel I had the ability, brains, or the confidence. I felt very alone. Now I am someone I am really proud of."

The music classes strike a chord with pop star Emeli Sande, who ­makes a surprise visit during rehearsals.

She tells the women: "Singing takes you outside that ­psychology you get trapped in. You will always face ­differences of opinions or rejection. Music gave me a voice I didn't know I had because I was quite shy growing up."

Nick described the project as a 'massive build' (Publicity Picture)

So "unspeakable" are some of the ­challenges facing the women that Nick, 60, and the producers have chosen not to include them for fear of reprisal.

Instead, he says they were asked to send letters to Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe detailing the horrors they face.

And as a mum of two, she admits their heartbreaking stories hit her hard. Zoe says: "A lot of them talk about ­confidence, feeling isolated and not having a voice.

"One girl says, 'I've seen a lot of domestic violence at home and I've been homeless for a couple of months sleeping in different places.'

"One said, 'I got involved with a gang running drugs and because I was young, I was told by the gang I wouldn't get a criminal record'. I am reading stuff here as a mum, it's pretty harrowing stuff."

If it were not for the kind donations from ­Children in Need viewers and the time 200 or so volunteers give up helping Nick build a new HQ, ­charities like Getaway Girls could not to cope.

He says: "It's a massive build. We need a huge number of ­volunteers, but extraordinary things happen when people pull together."

Nick and his gang are hit by plenty of logistical issues. He adds: "You have to think of these builds like a house of cards. One thing goes wrong and the whole thing collapses."

Rylan Clark also lends a hand (Publicity Picture)
Nick, pictured in 2020, has hosted DIY SOS for more than two decades (Getty Images)

Getaway Girls also offers a "home from home" service. Sharan, who used to be a teenage carer to her parents, says it provided her with a happy place to escape to.

Now a volunteer, she says: "As a teen carer, you can't ­participate in the same things as your friends, you can't go out all the time. Getaway Girls was a home from home. I could sit with someone in silence and be a normal teenager."

As Nick sums up why his DIY SOS job is so special, it is charities like this that is the reason why he is still hosting the programme 23 years later.

He says: "Getaway Girls provides an inclusive space where girls from any background can find friendship and support. I can't think of a more deserving beneficiary."

Tune in on Wednesday (November 16) to see if Nick and his DIY SOS gang complete the build in time in BBC One's The Big Build for Children in Need at 9pm.

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