Jay Blades’ workshop makes furniture for local heroes in Yorkshire. This week, a 12-year-old who saved his dad’s life and a woman who gets furniture to those in need.
Feelgood furniture. Jay Blades opens the doors to his workshop in Bradford, with expert craftspeople and would-be woodworkers making wow-factor furniture to thank local heroes.
Jez and Shane from Huddersfield come to the workshop to tell Jay about a guy known as Mr Bob. He set up a mental health charity for men in the local station called Platform 1 and has helped hundreds of men in crisis, including Shane. They’d like Jay and his team to come up with a chair for Mr Bob to say thank you. Expert woodworker Ciaran designs a contemporary wingback chair set on a pedestal. Jay travels across Bradford to a part of the city called Manningham. Here, he meets PC Husnain, who tells Jay that, having grown up there surrounded by gangs, his life could have turned out very differently if it hadn’t been for a youth worker called Sharat. Finally, Isabelle and her team make a brass inlayed picture frame from reclaimed iroko wood to thank Imran – a local tailor who tirelessly helps his community and used his skills to make scrubs for doctors during the first lockdown.
Jay Blades’ workshop makes furniture for local heroes in Yorkshire, who this week are two sisters who help the homeless and a farmer who helped a friend in his hour of need.
Angie, a matron at Airedale General Hospital in West Yorkshire, nominates a local primary school, St. Anne’s in Keighley. During lockdown, children from the school fundraised for the hospital, raising over ten times their initial £200 target by taking part in sponsored exercise. Their donation has helped fund the hospital’s wellbeing gardens, which staff, patients and families use for respite. To thank them, expert woodworker Saf and his team build a huge rainbow bookshelf for the school’s library, designed to encourage the children to read. It’s a struggle at times for Jabbar, who confides to Jay and his teammate Kate about his learning difficulties.
Connor nominates Jack for a surprise thank you from Jay and the team. Connor had a life-threatening liver condition. He meets Jay to explain that Jack, who was a complete stranger to him, responded to a social media post asking if anyone would be willing to donate half of their liver in a bid to save Connor’s life.
