Wernick Hire on the Scene at BBC DIY SOS

12th October 2015

Wernick Hire provided site accommodation free of charge for construction crews on a special episode of BBC One’s DIY SOS. The two part programme titled ‘DIY SOS: The Big Build Veterans Special’ chronicles the transformation of eight existing houses for Armed Forces Veterans, as well as the landscaping of the East Manchester streets they belong to. The project will alter the entire street, with a support centre for veterans facing physical or psychological challenges provided as well as the specially adapted homes.

Wernick became involved thanks to a long standing service level agreement with Kier, who are acting as principal contractor on the project. A store, office, canteen and toilet unit were all supplied, with a self-contained mobile welfare unit also being provided later on for traffic control and overnight security, especially important as a lot of the houses on the street were occupied throughout the project. The residential location made delivery of the units more difficult, though these issues were easily overcome with careful planning. The units are used by all staff working on the site, numbering up to thirty a day. This number includes Princes William and Harry, who donned their hard hats and hi-viz to help with the final stages of the project.

Holly Boulton, Site Manager for Kier, was more than happy with Wernick Hire. “The service they’ve provided has been really good,” Holly told us, “Staff have been very helpful and the quality of the products supplied have been great. It’s only fair that the people donating their time and expertise on site have really good facilities to use.”

Wernick Hire would have been unable to offer their services without the cooperation of their subcontractors, who include D. Cain Haulage, Brookfield Haulage, Universal Tanker Services and Adlington Welding Supplies, some of who offered their services at cost or even entirely free of charge. Donna Bentley, Assistant Depot Manager for Wernick Hire, told us “It’s been fantastic to see everyone pulling together for such a great cause, both on site and off.”

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