Help Nick Stay in His Home

Nick Cook, aged 49, was a keen amateur triathlete and cyclist, competing successfully in local races as a founding member of Mid Sussex Triathlon Club (MSTC) until 2004, when his life was suddenly turned upside down by a diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis. This is a form of multiple sclerosis in which deterioration is progressive.

Multiple sclerosis is a condition that affects your brain and spinal cord. In MS, the coating that protects your nerves (myelin) is damaged, causing a range of symptoms like blurred vision and problems with how you move, think and feel.

For Nick, the condition initially meant giving up his work as an electrician, along with his beloved sports of triathlon and cycling. Now, 16 years later, he is largely confined to a wheelchair, and is finding it increasingly difficult to move about his house in Uckfield, East Sussex, and especially to tackle the stairs, despite the installation of a stairlift.

As a result, he needs to convert the existing garage to the side of his house into a bedroom and wet room, so he no longer has to use the stairs. He also needs to create new, level wheelchair access to the front of his house and adapt his kitchen to his worsening condition. Finally, he needs to build a permanent ramp to enable him to access the sunny part of his garden. Nick applied to his local council for a grant to finance the work, but was told that it would be too expensive.

Nick’s condition is deteriorating by the week. Urgent action is needed now to future-proof his house to help him live as normal a life as possible. So, a group of his friends and MSTC club-mates, led by professional builder Graham Bond, decided to undertake the work themselves at a significantly reduced price, estimated at £30,000 for the first phase of the work (bedroom and wet room). A further £20,000 will be required to fund phases two and three of the work.

This ‘Friends DIY SOS’ approach means that costs will be reduced to just 35% of the full market price for undertaking the conversion work. Work began in June 2020, and significant progress has been made with the demolition and excavation work completed, ready to begin the construction work.

But we can’t do it alone! We need your help to carry out the next stage of this important work to make Nick’s life easier, as his condition inevitably worsens. The only alternative is for Nick to have to leave his house and move into shared local council accommodation, meaning that he will lose his independence and have to rely increasingly on public funding.

Nick said:

How can you help?

1. If you would like to contribute to Nick retaining his independent life in his own home, please donate directly to the Help Nick Stay in His Home campaign via this Just Giving page. Any donation will be gratefully received, however large or small.

2. Share Nick’s story! It’s important we get as many people as possible to hear about this campaign. Please share our Fundraiser with your friends and family.

3. If you are a local or national builders merchant or DIY store, please donate materials to the Help Nick Stay in His Home campaign. In return, we will present you with a certificate for display in your premises and will ensure that your contribution is recognised online, via social media and in media coverage of the project.

4. If you are a tradesman, or have relevant expertise and would like to donate some of your time to the project, please contact us.

5. If you are a media outlet, members of the Help Nick Stay in His Home campaign team and Nick himself are available to tell you more about this unique project. Support us in raising funds for the Help Nick Stay in His Home campaign.

5. If you have any other ideas about how you can help, please email us at helpnicksh@gmail.com.

For more information, contact:

helpnicksh@gmail.com

Contributors to the Help Nick Stay In His Home project so far include:

Graham Bond of Bond and Sons Ltd - For building advice and expertise, including a significant amount of free labour ;

Darren Tucker - for two long days doing brickwork and his offer to do the remainder of the brickwork and plastering for free ;

Parkers Building Suppliers in Uckfield - for providing building materials at trade rates ;

Brian Gow roofing supplies in Scaynes Hill - for providing roofing materials at cost price

Neil Giles - for sourcing Acro props free of charge;

Nick, Sasha, Jean and Ricci - for providing tea, flapjacks and cake to the Help Nick Stay In His Home team.

Nick said: