Borough council planners have played their part in the start of a BBC TV initiative at Treetops Hospice forming part of the annual Children In Need appeal.
The TV production team issued an open plea for local people, businesses and organisations to get involved in work to construct a new children's wing at the Risley-based site, which will begin on September 10th.
The borough council ensured that everything was done to fast-track green-belt consent to enable to project to go ahead and become a reality in just ten days.
Tight deadlines for filming meant the project could only go ahead if a crunch planning meeting was brought forward. The committee had previously been due to meet later in the month, which would have been too late for Nick Knowles and his DIY SOS crew.
The last hurdle to the new counselling and therapy hub in the hospice’s grounds was cleared on Wednesday 6th September. The wing will be built by an army of volunteers as a centre for traumatically bereaved children and families.
The DIY SOS show will be screened during BBC Children in Need Appeal week in November. Show host Nick Knowles spoke as local tradespeople flocked to donate materials and volunteer to help with the build. He said: “It’ll be a blast.”
Jules Kirk, therapeutics services manager at Treetops, said the charity was “absolutely over the moon” to get the new wing. She said: “Every year we provide over 900 counselling sessions for local children, some as young as seven, who are struggling after the death of a loved one.
“Many of our young clients have experienced unexpected or traumatic bereavements including accidents, suicide and murder.
"This centre will make an immeasurable difference to hundreds of children and their families in our local community.”
Councillor Alex Breene, Erewash’s Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said: “The council supports this project wholeheartedly. Treetops does magnificent work and is a fantastic asset to the borough.”