Engineers help DIY SOS rebuild for bereaved family

A team of Devon engineers has helped the BBC’s DIY SOS programme renovate a home for a bereaved young family.

In August 2025, Georgie's world was turned upside down when her husband Chris passed away suddenly at home in Feniton.

A talented carpenter and dedicated father, Chris had been in the middle of renovating the family house — a fixer-upper they hoped to turn into a warm, safe home for their three young children.

Georgie is now single-handedly raising Felicity (9), Eliza (7) and Hugo (3), while helping care for her mum who has early onset dementia.

The DIY SOS team invited trades to help transform the family home and National Grid Electricity Distribution was asked to help move an electricity meter onto a rebuilt porch.

Cable jointer Brendon Preece and craft attendant Liam Williams, both based in Torquay, laid a new cable from the existing one in the driveway to the new meter box and connected everything together.

Brendon said: “It’s been a fulfilling experience and good to give something back to the community.”

The National Grid team joined dozens of other trades on the house renovation.

Exeter-based planner Mark Vaughan said: “We managed to get the job done in a very quick timescale and it was a pleasure to work on. It was great to pull together with all the other trades to do this for the family.”

National Grid team manager Roisin Nilan said: “It was short notice but a huge thank you to the team that made it happen.” After Georgie saw how her home had been transformed, she met with the trades involved to express her appreciation and gratitude for all their hard work.

DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles also paid tribute to the workforce: “You should be very proud of yourselves,” he said. “It’s been one of our toughest, and wettest weeks, we’ve had on a build. You’ve done an amazing job. Thanks very much.”