On the evening of December 30, 2025, viewers across the UK tuned in to BBC One for a particularly moving episode of DIY SOS. The show’s host, Nick Knowles, found himself fighting back tears as he and his team—alongside four stars from the hit series Gladiators—took on what he described as the "most challenging" community build of his career. Their mission: to give Beverley’s Cherry Tree Youth Club, in East Yorkshire, a new home and a fresh start after years of adversity.
The Cherry Tree Community Centre had once been a lifeline for local children, offering a safe haven and support. But when the pandemic struck, the building was repurposed as a food hub to serve struggling families, leaving the youth club without a dedicated space. For five years, the club’s members braved the elements, gathering under a single gazebo in a park—rain, wind, and snow included—while volunteers did their best to provide them with hot meals and a sense of belonging (as reported by the Mirror and TV Guide).
Nick Knowles, himself no stranger to tough beginnings, was immediately drawn to the project. “It's grabbed me by the heart and it took me straight back to my youth, and thinking how important it would have been for me to have had that opportunity to have a youth club,” he admitted to the assembled crowd and cameras, as quoted by Hull Live. “I don't know how we're going to do this one. I should have said no, but how do you say no?”
His emotions ran high as he addressed the army of volunteer tradespeople, reflecting on his own childhood growing up on a council estate in Southall, West London. “I grew up in a place like this. The kind of places that people say, 'Oh, don't bother building anything nice there, it will just get destroyed.' You have to build stuff in tough places, you have to make a difference,” Knowles said, his voice cracking. The crowd’s applause offered support as he continued, “I didn’t expect it to get me. You will make this happen, you will change the futures of young people round here with what we're about to do.”
The scale and ambition of the build were remarkable. With the help of designer Gabrielle Blackman, the core DIY SOS team, and local tradespeople, the group set out to create a purpose-built youth centre on the edge of the park. The project was bolstered by the presence of Gladiators stars Jodie Ounsley (Fury), Tom Wilson (Hammer), Lystus Ebosele (Cyclone), and Jamie Christian-Johal (Giant), who pitched in with everything from heavy lifting to sourcing outdoor gym equipment, according to TV Guide.
The technical challenges were significant. The new building was constructed from a combination of 18 timber wall frames, two shipping containers, and a prefabricated roof. The containers anchored the ends of a steel frame structure, which boasted floor-to-ceiling glass windows for a welcoming, open feel. One container became a kitchen designed to tackle food poverty by feeding children who might otherwise miss meals; the other housed a storeroom and toilets. Installing those toilets proved tricky—the nearest sewer was 80 meters away, requiring Gladiators Fury and Giant to help maneuver enormous pipes across a neighboring garden.
Inside, the centre featured a breakout room for private conversations, an open-plan hub with a stage, and dedicated spaces for beauty treatments, DJing, karaoke, and arts and crafts. Outside, children could enjoy a sensory garden, table tennis, an outdoor pizza oven, and a gym—thanks to the Gladiators’ efforts. According to Everything Gossip, the build was completed in just eight days, following three months of planning and foundation work, including nine days of site clearance and preparation led by contractor GRAHAM and the engineering team.
The project was more than just a television spectacle. It was a true community effort. Staff from GRAHAM, currently working on the nearby £86.9 million Jock’s Lodge junction scheme, volunteered their time through YORhub’s YOR4Good initiative, which has supported over 200 community projects with more than £2.1 million in funding, as detailed by Hull Live. GRAHAM’s contributions included foundations, structural steelwork, drainage, landscaping, and fencing, all essential to bringing the new youth hub to life.
Nick Knowles was quick to praise the spirit of Beverley’s residents. “Look at the people who turned out, look at the people who believed in this, look at the people who wanted to build something for the kids here, and look at what's been built,” he told Hull Live. “We always think that, when we come to build something, it's like a health check for a community—how healthy is your community? What's the community spirit like? Well look at it, eight days—you shouldn't be able to do that in eight days. People were here from six o'clock to midnight and it wasn't to be on telly, none of them were interested in that. They just wanted to get this built and we couldn't make them go home. It's amazing, it's been a real honour to be amongst the community.”
The unveiling of the new Cherry Tree Youth Club was an emotional moment for all involved. Staff members, including manager Jo Ramsay and treasurer Tony Henderson, were visibly moved as they toured the transformed centre. At a later ceremony, a commemorative plaque was unveiled by representatives from GRAHAM, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and the YOR4Good panel, marking the lasting legacy of the build.
The impact of the project was clear to those who will benefit most: the young people of Beverley. The area ranks among the bottom 15 percent for deprivation in the UK, and many of the children supported by the youth club face significant challenges at home. Youth worker Chloe, herself a former member and young carer, told Nick Knowles, “What helped me the most was being able to confide in an adult [at the youth club].” Manager Jo added, “We speak to kids who haven’t eaten anything for days. There are young people who don’t have support at home or trusted adults to go to.”
Phil Henderson, chair of the YOR4Good panel, summed up the significance of the new youth hub: “YORhub is incredibly proud to have contributed to the Cherry Tree Youth Hub project. This initiative has created a vibrant, safe space for local young people to meet and benefit from the facilities available at the hub, reinforcing GRAHAM’s and YOR4Good’s commitment to delivering meaningful social value. This fantastic community initiative supports disadvantaged young people in the Beverley area.”
For Nick Knowles, the project was deeply personal. “The first few years of my life were on an estate like this. The trouble is, it's represented so badly whenever it's featured, about what's bad about places like this. But we've just spent a week working with people to show what's good about places like this... I couldn't walk away from it, it's too personal,” he told the cameras, echoing a sentiment that resonated throughout the episode.
As the children explored their new club—complete with a stage, kitchen, breakout spaces, and outdoor amenities—Knowles quietly reminded himself, “Pull yourself together.” But for all involved, the tears and emotion were a testament to the power of community, compassion, and the belief that every child deserves a place to belong.
