Band of Builders’ latest project to help a widowed surveyor left paralysed after a fall at home achieved coverage across local, regional and national (plus international) media.
Rob Lamb, 58, suffered a severe spinal cord injury when he fainted due to low blood pressure at home in October, leaving him paralysed from the chest down.
After hearing about his situation, national construction charity Band of Builders stepped in to make changes needed to make Rob’s home safe, comfortable and accessible. After several months of planning, a team of volunteers from around the country descend on the family’s home in Solihull, where Rob lives with his three sons, on March 13th to make a range of adaptations so he could return for the first time since October.
Over just nine days, around 60 tradespeople carried out changes including the creation of a downstairs bedroom and wet room complete with specialist equipment, an accessible kitchen, and new decking in the garden so he can access it. The team also installed air conditioning and underfloor heating as Rob’s body will now struggle to regulate its own temperature.
Rob, who was widowed when wife Julie died suddenly in 2017, lives with sons Callum, Gavin and Mackenzie, who plays for West Bromwich Albion’s youth team. Their sister Tara lives in America. The dad-of-four returned to Solihull on Sunday, March 21st for an emotional handover with his three sons, who all helped work on the house alongside Band of Builders.
Rob’s return home, which included a bagpiper and waiting crowd, was covered by the Press Association, ITV Central, BBC Midlands Today and On the Tools, with coverage extended across national newspapers, local media in print and online, local radio and local TV.
The build itself was covered throughout by local and regional media, as well as trade publications who covered the support from the industry.
Affectionately known by many in the trade as BoB, Band of Builders is a registered charity that helps members of the UK construction industry battling illness or injury through the completion of practical projects to make their lives easier, more accessible and safe for people living outside the norm.
Volunteers give up their time for free to work on projects, while materials are donated by companies across the construction industry. They include project sponsor Tarmac Blue Circle, Band of Builders official tool partner DeWalt and Jewson, which has chosen BoB as its official charity.
A state-of-the-art accessible kitchen was donated by Magnet including new appliances paid for by LionHeart, a benevolent fund for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and their families. COVID testing kits were donated by OX Tools and PPE by Lee Brothers. Many more companies – local and national – donated equipment and materials, contributing to a project worth at least £100,000.