Professional Builder’s Lee Jones charts the charitable endeavours of Band of Builders and talks to BoB CEO, Gavin Crane about the successes to date and what is yet to come
Late last year Band of Builders reached a significant milestone when it surpassed the £1million mark in project value across its worthy history – but the charity is promising that there is much more still to come.
“I live and breathe Band of Builders,” confesses Gavin Crane. Indeed, the charity’s CEO wound down his own commercial landscaping business last year in order to devote his attention to the organisation – and 2022 would witness a record number of beneficiaries.
Gavin’s personal involvement in the building trades extends more than twenty years, whilst he followed the progress of BoB from the beginning, with the very first project that Addam Smith completed for his friend, Keith Ellick, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. In a by now well-known but no less heart-warming story, Addam took to social media to ask for help renovating Keith’s home and the response was so overwhelming that the idea for Band of Builders was born.
“My first hands on involvement would come with BoB’s second assignment in 2017, which was in collaboration with Simon’s Heroes, a Staffordshire-based charity that helps children with life-limiting illnesses. We were tasked with creating a sensory garden at a special needs school and I was Project Lead. I had quite a lot of experience of building playgrounds and the like, so my skillset was a natural fit. From those beginnings I’ve been involved at some level with every job we’ve undertaken, whilst my role has recently evolved into securing partnerships and support for what we do.”
Gavin now provides the drive and vision that Band of Builders needs to continue and his commitment to the cause is unquestionable. “Over the last few years, we’ve developed commercial partnerships with the likes of DeWalt, Talasey, Regatta Workwear and more recently CT1 which provides a secure amount of funding, so we don’t have to rely on events or individual donations.”
With the cost-of-living crisis squeezing disposable incomes, the third sector has itself experienced financial pressures. Where Band of Builders departs from many charities, however, is the extent to which it is supported by merchants and suppliers. “As an example of their generosity, we undertook a project in Northern Ireland last year that had a project value of £95,000,” reveals Gavin. “All of the funds were secured through the generosity of the local supply chain, and that’s quite typical of how we operate. We’re not a cash-hungry organisation and our turnover is actually quite low.”
“That’s a model we want to continue with – a relatively compact team of trusted tradespeople who can come together to achieve big things.” At the same time, Band of Builders completed a record number of projects in 2022. There are also plans in place to devolve the organisation from its current national structure to operate regionally, with each division capable of taking on its own charitable works, which could significantly increase the overall number.
“Band of Builders is nothing without our incredible volunteers, many of whom are veterans who get the bug and keep coming back time and time again. From day one we’ve had 772 tradespeople working across the projects we’ve undertaken, and we’re always looking to encourage new people to get involved. We need a diverse range of people with different skills in order to do the work we do and managing that can sometimes be a challenge.”
Why do it?
So, what’s the appeal for Gavin and the hundreds of volunteers who have championed Band of Builders over the last few years? “It provides you with the opportunity to give something back using the expertise you’ve accrued in the building industry often over many years.
That’s incredibly rewarding, especially for builders who often don’t get the credit for the work that they do from wider society. One of the guiding principles of the charity is that the beneficiary will always have a connection to the construction industry. That’s a unique proposition and creates a real feeling of community and togetherness on site.”
“I get asked what has been the best project to be involved in a lot, and the truth is that they are all very emotional in their own way. We were very proud to have completed our first project in Northern Ireland last year, for example, but each and every one is special because it’s a life that we’ve helped to change. The most challenging part of the process is selecting the beneficiary and we need to make sure that we’re able to make a tangible difference.”
“Band of Builders is nothing without our incredible volunteers, many of whom are veterans who get the bug and keep coming back time and time again.” – Gavin Crane, Band of Builders CEO
The pandemic created problems for the charity’s work in that operating in people’s homes was problematic, but it also gave Gavin and his team time to reflect and explore other initiatives that would support the industry. One of the results of that is the Big Brew where events up and down the country encourage tradespeople to come together and remove some of the stigma associated with mental health issues. “In 2022 alone over 200 Big Brew meets have taken place in builders’ merchants. From that concept we’ve gone further, launching our own counselling service, alongside text support. It’s shocking that construction has the highest suicide rate of any sector and I’m delighted that we’re able to provide some help.”
With a team of only three direct employees, and a core group of around 20 volunteers – all of whom are also tradespeople – what Band of Builders has achieved to date is remarkable, and its scope and reach is set to extend still further. For a full is of project planned for 2023, click here.
