Episode 11 Going Back Giving Back

One of the things I love about us Brits is our spirit of generosity.

If I can give back to somebody who had a similar struggle to my own,

then that's what I'd like to do.

Last year, nearly three quarters of us gave to charity.

But what if you had a chance to go back and relive moments from your past?

I wish I was 18 again.

I'm expecting Mum and Dad to

-walk out now and say hello, you know?

-Yeah.

Moments which would inspire you to want to help someone today.

I want to give back to those people that are going through that,

that I went through in the beginning.

If I can give something to somebody else that would change their lives,

-I'd really love to.

-Fantastic.

Someone who had no idea this life-changing windfall was coming.

I have got, potentially, her dream in my hand.

-How are you feeling?

-Nervous.

There'll be surprises...

-How are you?

-Very good!

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

..with acts of generosity that will change people's lives...

We're all crying.

-Do you need a hug, as well?

-Yeah, thanks!

..forever.

That's brilliant.

Somebody that just does that for people,

it's just amazing, it really is.

This is Going Back, Giving Back.

Today, we're going back to 1970s Liverpool,

and a story that really resonates me.

It's all about facing adversity and battling against the odds.

A story where one person's kindness could change someone else's life.

We take a remarkable man on a trip down memory lane.

Will it spark powerful emotions?

-I'm expecting Mum and Dad to walk out now and say hello, you know?

-Yeah.

The memories just come flooding back.

It's just wonderful to be back.

But what exactly is driving him to want to make a huge difference?

Oh, my goodness me.

Even though she was dying, "Please, just remember to please

"keep giving as much as you can.

"I want you to continue to do that."

Can he change the life of a caring and inspirational teenager?

She's basically does everything.

Wouldn't be without her.

And the tension builds as we prepare for the ultimate surprise...

I cannot wait to see her face.

In front of all her friends, as well.

-Hi, Olivia.

-Hi!

..with a gift that will change her life.

-Thank you so much.

-Pleasure.

-Thank you.

I'm in a leafy suburb of the Wirral to meet a man who's made the

life-changing decision to give something back.

His life today is a far cry from the 1970s, when he was growing up on the

Speke estate just outside Liverpool.

The swinging '60s were over and money was tight.

The Speke council estate had become one of the most deprived areas in the UK.

50% unemployment.

The average wage was as little as £19 a week.

That's less than £3 a day to live on.

Unbelievable.

Escaping this world of grinding poverty was virtually unheard of,

but a tiny number did beat the odds, and one of them was a guy I'm going to meet now.

I can't wait for you to hear his extraordinary story.

I hope he's in.

He is.

57-year-old dad of two Bernie has always lived in Merseyside.

Despite his tough childhood, he turned his life around,

and for the last 30 years has enjoyed

a successful career as a banking executive.

Come on in. Cup of tea? Coffee.

-I'll have anything.

-OK, fine.

Let's go.

Bernie's not a rich man.

Doesn't have a fleet of flashy cars,

but there is one extraordinary thing about him.

Having been a teenage carer for his mother

and really struggled in early life,

he's made it his mission to help others.

And over the past 30 years, he's raised millions for charity

by cycling across continents,

running marathons and trekking across deserts.

But for the first time, it's personal,

and he wants to give some of his own money to someone whose life today

mirrors that of his childhood.

A lovely part of the world you're in.

Yeah, it really is beautiful around here.

A bit different to where you were when you were a kid.

Yeah, sadly, it was. I was in an

overspill housing estate in Liverpool called Speke.

-Notorious Speke.

-Yeah.

It has got a bit of a reputation, sadly,

and there was an awful lot of poverty.

Mum was just a cleaner.

Dad went to sea.

He was away quite a lot, wasn't he?

-Yeah, he was, yeah.

-It must have been really hard on your mum, then.

Yeah, it was. She was the fatherly figure to my three brothers

and myself and my gran and my grandad,

who lived with us at the time, as well.

Bernie's mum was a massive influence on his life.

Although money was extremely tight,

she always believed in giving whatever

she could to those less fortunate.

Your mum's mantra, her belief in helping other people is in you now?

Yeah, very much so, really,

I think it's within my DNA.

His mum insisted education was

the key to unlocking the door to a better life.

It's because of her that Bernie went to university,

and that he set up a charity that takes

groups of volunteer from the UK over to Kenya to build

schools for the African children.

Giving is in his blood, and this time

it's his mission to help someone

who's experienced his hardship.

And you want to give back to somebody less fortunate than yourself now?

I'd really love to give to somebody that I feel that we could help on their educational journey,

whereby they may be struggling financially to go and fulfil their dream.

-You're potentially changing somebody's life.

-Yeah.

That's pretty incredible stuff.

-I know.

-Incredible. Yeah.

Listen, to help you decide how to give back,

I think we need to go back.

-So, are you ready?

-Yeah.

-Up for it.

-Let's go.

-Thanks, Aled. Cheers.

We're hoping that by taking Bernie

on this trip down memory lane, back to his childhood,

it will help him make the massive decision of who

and how he might be able to help someone today.

So, have you any idea where we're off to now?

Well, if we're going into Liverpool, I would imagine it's going back to

where I grew up, which is, you know, Speke.

In the '60s, Liverpool was a happening place to be.

Hem lines went up...

aspirations grew...

..and the Cavern Club was the cradle of British pop music.

Just nine miles from Liverpool

was the Speke estate, where we are now heading.

It's where Bernie spent his childhood

and where his passion for giving back was sparked.

-So, this is it, is it?

-This is Speke, yeah.

This is the entrance to Speke.

After massive slum clearances in the centre of Liverpool,

hundreds of families such as Bernie's

were moved out of town to modern housing estates like Speke,

where Beatles George Harrison and Paul McCartney lived.

These estates were a huge hit with residents.

The modern houses even had inside toilets and fitted kitchens.

I think there's more pride when it is done nice,

that you want to keep it nice.

Speke, it's enormous, isn't it?

It is. Geographically, it's an enormous housing estate.

By the 1970s, when Bernie was growing up,

Liverpool's fortunes had dramatically changed.

The docks had declined,

and the factories in and around Speke had closed down.

This once thriving estate was now rife with unemployment and crime.

Speke gets a very bad press, doesn't it, or it has done over the years.

-Was it scary?

-It was... It was, at times, to be fair.

You know, particularly, there were certain areas where..

..you really feel very uncomfortable about walking.

Right.

It's incredible. It's like a...

-Shall we pop out?

-That would be nice, yeah. Why not?

For Bernie, there's one place in particular

where his awareness of giving back started

and where he first appreciated the value of money.

Every Sunday, he witnessed his mum

giving a lot of money to the collection,

despite having very little themselves.

It was a key catalyst for Bernie's generosity.

This was the church where you were that angelic little altar boy.

Angelic, possibly so, but possibly not.

Many a happy a memory on those steps over there,

when we actually were altar boys for weddings and funerals.

Not so much happy for funerals,

but always happy when we actually got our tip

at the end of the actual ceremony.

40 years ago, getting married in church was still the most popular choice for couples,

and big dresses and big hair was all the rage.

Did you get more money for weddings or more money for funerals?

-We actually did better out of funerals.

-Really?

I don't know the reason why that happened,

but when we got a funeral we knew we were quids in.

So everybody turned up and said yes to a funeral.

Did you have a good singing voice?

Dreadful, Aled, I'm sure you'll be delighted to know...

I thought we could have had a duet outside!

You were supposed to say, "Yes, and I've still got it."

LAUGHTER

No, my singing voice was awful, to be fair.

I think I wasn't a bad soprano, not to your degree.

But, no, I kept my singing well back and just served on the altar.

-I knew my level.

-You earn less as an choir boy.

You were in the right place being an altar boy.

-Shall we carry on our walk?

-Yeah, why not? Let's do that.

This first location helped kick-start

Bernie's desire to give something back.

A short walk away is a place he's not been back to for 30 years

and is a stark reminder of how far he's come.

It's his childhood home.

It's incredible to be home.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

It's just, it's been a long time.

And nothing has changed, Aled.

-Really?

-Yeah, it's just as I was in my childhood, really.

Which has got double glazing!

My goodness me!

That's one difference.

Yeah, absolutely, and it's got its own number, as well.

Incredible stuff.

That's so great. Oh, dear, dear, dear.

What's going through your mind?

Um...

Well, yeah, it's, uh...

I'm expecting Mum and Dad to walk out now and say hello, you know?

Well, they're not here, so...

The memories just come flooding back.

It's just wonderful to be back and just to see it's still here.

There were how many of you in that house?

Eight people lived in this house.

-Eight.

-Eight folks, yeah, yeah.

-It was...

-It doesn't really look

big enough for eight people, I have to say.

We did call it the TARDIS at the time,

because Dr Who had just started.

It was quite an incredible space inside,

I don't really know how we fitted all of these folks in,

but we did and it was an incredible place to be.

There was so much love

and so much fun.

It was great, but, wow, thank you for bringing me back, Aled.

This is just... It's just wonderful to watch and see and... Yeah.

It's changed, obviously, a little outside,

but from here it's just phenomenal.

Little does he know,

but everything's about to get even more vivid.

Listen, we can go one better.

-Really?

-I've got the keys.

Do you fancy having a little trip down memory lane?

-Yeah. Thank you.

-It's a pleasure.

-Come on. Let's get you in there.

-Thank you very much. Thank you.

Come on through to the hall.

Wow! Oh, my God!

Oh, wow!

-It's just...

-Yeah.

-Wow.

What's going through your mind?

Just, I can now sort of visualise

people walking around the house and speaking and

going back and forth and I can... The telephone was right here.

A red telephone that we had on a telephone stand here,

which was, you know, sacrosanct, anybody go near that, gosh,

you had to have special permission to make a telephone call, you know.

Um, and, yeah, this was our lounge where we were,

if we went into here, we'd got special permission

-to play our records and have a bit of fun.

-Shall we go and look?

Yeah. Wow!

Bernie's childhood home, where he ended up caring for his poorly mum,

was a typical example of how millions

of families were living across the country.

There was no central heating, no double glazing, no fridge.

Things were pretty basic.

So this has changed, has it?

Oh, wow! Yeah. Wow.

There used to be a wall here with a glass door.

But I can still visualise as being in here.

You know? It's just...

And the piano used to be up against this wall here, my nan's piano.

So many memories come flooding back now.

-Do you want to look upstairs?

-I'd love to go upstairs, yeah.

Everything is coming back to Bernie as if it were yesterday.

I'm hoping this visit will fuel Bernie's determination

to give something back.

The three-bed house today looks really smart,

so it's hard to imagine how

eight people lived crammed in here 40 years ago.

This was our room here.

-Come on, then.

-This is where five people slept.

-Five people?

-Five, yeah.

-In this room?

-Yeah, yeah.

So, five of you in this room.

I'm getting visions of, like, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

It was very much like Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

We were very much munchkined in.

It was incredible how we could

actually fit five people in one small space,

but it was done.

A single in this corner here.

Double there. Two singles here.

When Bernie was a boy, it was very common

for many generations to live under

the same roof, meaning very cramped sleeping conditions.

So you, your brothers...

Me, John, Mark, Steve and grandad.

-Grandad was in with you?

-Oh, yeah, yeah.

Why was grandad in with you?

My nan used to sleep in the spare room over here,

and they didn't get on, so...

I think he was delighted he was in here and not with Gran.

Let's carry on. Where was your mum and dad then?

Mum and Dad's bedroom was here on the left.

Oh, my goodness me.

Wow!

We're now getting to the heart of Bernie's motivation for

why he wants to give back.

As a young lad, who became one of his mum's carers,

his feelings are very raw.

I just visualise it the way it was.

Both your parents passed away within six months of one and other,

-is that right?

-Yeah. Dad passed away first of all.

He died of liver cancer and lung cancer within, well,

he was given six weeks to live from our doctor's around the corner,

and within six weeks he passed away.

It was a shocking way of him passing,

and then six months after that, Mum went.

Whether it was a broken heart, nobody knows,

but she died very, very suddenly,

with a terrible lung disease that she got, as well.

So it wasn't very pretty, to be fair.

It's clear family is incredibly important to Bernie,

but it's his mum who's the key driving force

behind his desire to give something back.

Even on her death bed she had words of advice for you, didn't she?

Yeah, she did. I remember vividly,

really, when it was coming towards the end and...

..she beckoned me onto her bed and...

..she embraced me the way she always did.

She looked so beautiful.

She always had this beautiful brown, wavy hair and...

..she turned around and said to me, "Don't worry, son,

"it's going to be OK.

"I'm going to be fine." Even though she was dying.

"I'm going to be fine. Please don't worry about me,

"but, please, just remember to,

"please, keep giving as much as you can.

"To give is to receive.

"I want you to continue to do that, as I've done, and you'll be OK.

"You'll be looked after if you continue on that way, on that path."

And I whispered in her ear.

I always remember doing this.

I whispered in her ear and said,

"Mum, I'll... You've got it, I'll do this for you.

"That's not a problem.

"You have my word. From this day

"I will go on and carry on what you're doing,

"what you've done today."

And you have.

-Well, yeah.

-And you're going to.

Yeah, well, yes, I hope so. I hope I have and I've done my little bit,

and I'm sure Mum, wherever she is,

will be looking down upon all four of us, really.

Basically saying that she's proud of what we've achieved.

First of all, what happened in this room, that special moment,

-has been with you all your life and is now spurring you on to help.

-Yeah.

'Going back is stirring up such vivid memories for Bernie...'

DOORBELL

Let's head downstairs.

'..making him more determined to give back with his own money.

'But his visit has also attracted the attention of old neighbours.'

-Hiya.

-You don't remember me!

-I don't think...

-Mr Jensen.

Mr Jensen?

Peter...

Last time I seen you, you had more hair than me!

'And it's not just Bernie who recognised the kindness of his mum,

'she made a huge impact on everyone.'

Do you remember his parents and grandparents, then?

Oh, yeah.

Your grandad was the one, the kids didn't like him, did they?

-No, no, no, no.

-Couldn't play outside.

No, no, no, no. He was very,

watchful, you couldn't play football at all.

He was coming out and telling people off.

This was a time before computer games,

and most families didn't even have a television,

so children would spend hours playing out on the streets,

creating their own games.

Your nan was a very nice woman.

Yeah?

Yeah. To me, she was.

She was. She was very gracious.

-And your mother.

-And my mum was an angel.

It's been 25 years, he said, since he's been here.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Is it 20?

It must be 25 years. Was it longer?

-I don't know. 30-odd.

-30.

Do you remember him as a young one?

Yes. Yes.

He used to walk around with his books, going to school and studying.

That nice school.

Oh, really?

He was the clever one?

Well, I think he was, yeah.

LAUGHTER

You don't have to answer that, Mr Jensen.

Listen, you two are getting on like a house on fire, but I need to steal him, I've got plans for him now.

-Thanks so much for coming around, Mr Jensen.

-Thank you.

Lovely seeing you. Lovely seeing you. Give my love to all the family.

-Yeah.

-Great seeing you.

Thank you for welcoming me back.

So, shall we head on?

Yeah, let's head on. Why not? Great stuff. Thank you.

So, go on, how was it going back to the old house?

Yeah, so inspirational and so emotional,

but it's made me more determined

-to give something back than ever before, Aled.

-Good on you.

Coming up, we've been on a hunt for someone whose story we hope will

resonate with Bernie and we think we've found them.

She's an inspirational teenager

whose life has extraordinary parallels with Bernie's.

Among them, caring for a poorly parent.

She basically does everything.

Wouldn't be without her.

She thinks we're making a programme about young carers

and has absolutely no idea

the real reason behind Bernie's visit

and that she could be in line for a life-changing gift.

-Hi, Olivia.

-Hi.

-Hi, lovely to meet you.

-You, too. Please, come in.

-Thank you so much, thanks.

The big question is, will they get on?

But first, we've gathered together

some very familiar faces who are still a key part of Bernie's life.

I've got another little surprise for you now.

Fancy a kick around with your brothers?

Oh, yeah!

This should be fun!

Aw, stop showing off!

Back heels as well?

Bernie's brothers, John, Mark and Steve

also moved out of Speke decades ago and haven't been back since.

Growing up, like boys across the country,

they'd spend hours outside playing football.

Time to see if they've still got the skills and a chance for Bernie to

make sure he's doing the right thing.

So, was he always studying, this one?

-He was the sensible one out of the four of us, really.

-Oh, was he?

We got our friends to do our homework on the bus.

On the bus, yeah.

I was a bit like that, as well.

He was saying earlier on, you didn't have a lot

but it was a happy family life.

To be honest with you,

it was amazing, because we all congregated in one room at the back.

Fantastic. Where we all grew up.

My dad used to send money home to me mother. He worked away at sea.

When she got the money she'd go shopping.

When she come back, we were all waiting like vultures.

Thursday night, wasn't it? Payday! Thursday night.

-"We're in for a feast."

-We'd dive into the bag

and we'd actually get

the food that we liked and hide it somewhere in the house,

so the other brothers couldn't get it!

Food shopping in the '60s underwent a revolution.

Rather than visiting the local high street,

more and more families were discovering the delights of the supermarket,

which offered lots more choice at lower prices.

What about being back here today? What's gone through your minds?

I think the frightening thing is it's close on, for me,

it's probably nearly 30 years since I've been back here properly,

since my mum passed away.

And it just...

We've been here a little while now and you start feeling as if it is,

this is home, really.

Obviously where your roots were, where you were brought up.

Seeing the streets and the closes and the areas that

-you used to play football on, it's just...

-And the people have come

out to say hello to you, to speak to you, that's nice.

It's amazing, after all those years.

-After all those years.

-It just means you haven't changed a bit, boys!

LAUGHTER

'Bernie's hoping his brothers are supportive of his desire to give

'something back. Will they give their seal of approval?'

How do you feel about him now wanting to help someone who,

you know, maybe doesn't have a good start in life

or doesn't have the trappings of wealth?

Full of proudness and admiration. And, you know, we're so, so proud.

Listen, I'll leave you boys to it, to reminisce.

-I'll catch up with you a little bit later.

-I look forward to that, Aled.

Looks like you need more practice than me!

-Cheers, Aled.

-Cheers, Aled. Bye.

Taking Bernie back to his childhood and visiting the places

where he grew up has sparked powerful memories.

Wow, thank you for bringing me back, Aled.

This is just... It's just wonderful to watch and see.

-Thank you.

-Oh, it's a pleasure.

But most importantly, it's helped focus his mind.

How was it, going back to the old house?

So inspirational and so emotional,

but it's made me more determined now

to give something back than ever before, Aled.

Bernie is unique.

Such a special man.

He's obviously been inspired by his remarkable upbringing and his incredible mum.

He just wants to give, of his time and from his heart.

Of course, there are loads of people

who would benefit from Bernie's generosity,

but we think we've found somebody whose story will definitely

resonate with him.

She's a remarkable, inspirational young woman and there are

definite parallels between her life and Bernie's.

And do you know the best bit?

She comes from his home town.

Just a few miles from where Bernie grew up,

on a similar Merseyside housing estate,

lives teenage carer, Olivia, and her frail dad, Ray.

Here you go, Dad.

Ta.

Olivia's life has many similarities with Bernie's own childhood.

Just as education was so crucial to Bernie,

Olivia also strongly believes in the importance of further education,

and, like Bernie with his mum, cares for her elderly parents.

With so many parallels, we've arranged for them to meet.

I'm really excited about seeing her.

I've heard her story and it's very similar to my story,

and I feel there's a lot of synergy between both of us.

And, uh, I'm going to look and see how we can explore

possibly giving something back to her.

The big question is, will they get on?

This is a massively important meeting,

which has the potential to change Olivia's future.

Hi, Olivia. Hi, lovely to meet you.

-You, too. Please, come in.

-Thank you so much.

Olivia thinks we're just making a programme

about teenagers who care for their elderly parents.

She has no idea she might be in line for a life-changing gift.

-Lovely to meet you.

-You, too.

-I am really interested

in your story with regards

to the great work that you do behind all of your studies.

Tell me a bit about that.

I look after my dad.

I've been looking after my dad since my mum left,

because she used to look after him.

That must have been really difficult for you.

It really was, because I was round about 11 when I first started looking after him.

-Wow!

-I think I've grown up, like, quicker than I should have.

You know, because teenagers would go out to parties and,

like, have fun and I'm, like, actually looking after my dad and doing my studies.

Olivia's dad, 78-year-old Ray, has a number of life-limiting illnesses.

He recently suffered his third heart attack and is recovering from throat cancer.

He totally relies on his teenage daughter.

She basically does everything.

I wouldn't be without her.

Olivia is among 700,000 young carers in the United Kingdom.

For most teenagers,

this would be an overwhelming responsibility,

but for Olivia it has become a normal way of life, since she was 11 years old.

Tell me a little bit more about being a carer.

So, in the morning I always get up at six o'clock.

I sort my dad out first,

so I wake him up,

get him out of bed,

and then I bring him downstairs and then I make his breakfast.

And then, once he's, like, getting eating, I just go upstairs, get myself ready,

sort out my dad's clothing,

like, ironing or whatever needs to be done.

I really sort of know where you're coming from, because, from my background,

my mother was very, very ill and she had a very,

-very terminal lung disease.

-Oh.

And I basically had to look after Mum

from that point of view, because Dad was away.

It is a bit of a strain, to be fair.

-It is.

-And having, and being there 24/7...

-Yeah.

..of course, and then having the balance of studies, as well.

It's a lot for a young girl to cope with, especially as dad, Ray,

struggles with even the simplest of things.

She does most things.

Makes sure that I've got all my clothes on.

Puts me socks on for me.

Ties me shoelaces.

And then she, um, she goes out to college.

But before she goes, she makes sure that I've got something for me lunch.

Before he retired, Ray was an engineer and travelled the world.

It's clear he couldn't now live without Olivia's dedicated and loving support.

Is there any point where you decided, "I can't do this any more?"

I kind of felt like that,

because it was a lot of pressure put on, like, an 11-year-old.

-Absolutely.

-But, um, it was a lot of pressure, but, honestly,

I think I was fine with it.

I was like, "Right, OK, I'm going to be as tough as I can be,

"be strong and pull through," which I've managed to do.

I'm so, honestly, I really am in

so much admiration of what you've achieved.

Just like Bernie and his mum,

Olivia and her father are completely devoted to each other.

-Are you sure you don't want one?

-Go on, then.

-Here you go.

We're really close.

I mean, there's nothing she can't tell me

and there's nothing I can't tell her.

Olivia's dad is obviously very proud of her.

And just like Bernie's mum,

he's encouraging her to focus on her education.

She's studying a BTEC in applied science, and, like Bernie,

has ambitions of going to university.

I'd really like her to, uh...

..finish her college and then get to university.

And get a good job.

And that's my goal.

Olivia does get some help from the Carers' Trust.

But Bernie wants to explore what support he can give that could make

a life-changing difference.

My dad can drive, but sometimes he can't drive.

-OK.

-At all. So we wouldn't be able to get the shopping in or, like,

I couldn't get around, I'd have to walk everywhere.

So as soon as I turn 17 I was hoping, like, to do driving lessons,

but it's actually pretty expensive.

-Yeah, learning to drive is not cheap these days, is it?

-No.

And is getting to college a tricky situation with regards to

-transportation?

-Four buses a day.

-How many?

-Four.

-Four?!

-Yeah.

Hearing just how much learning to drive could change Olivia's life is

a huge revelation for Bernie.

It would enable her to juggle the demands of college and caring

for her dad.

Tell me about, what do you do to chill out and enjoy?

To chill out I always read books.

I especially love to read travel novel types things, people who travel a lot,

cos that's what my dad used to do.

And that's what I aspire to do in my future, as well.

Like, not just stay in one place.

I want to, like, travel to different countries.

-Well, I hope your dreams are going to come true for you.

-Thank you.

I am sure they are because you're working so hard.

There are so many parallels between Bernie and Olivia's upbringings.

This meeting has been a significant turning point in Bernie's mission to

give something back.

-All the very best for the future. It was lovely seeing you.

-You, too.

-Take care.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

I can see there's an awful lot of similarities between where I've

come from in my past and where she's going in her future

and I feel there's a kindred spirit between us.

I could sense that while I was actually speaking to her.

Meeting Olivia has had a massive impact on Bernie.

But before he can decide whether he can help her,

he needs to talk this important decision through with someone

very close to his heart.

Thanks for meeting me today. I really appreciate it, I know you've got a busy schedule.

You're welcome.

Bernie's 23-year-old son, Lewis,

is currently studying at Liverpool University.

For Bernie, his support in making this decision is crucial.

-What have you been up to?

-I've been spending a bit of time going back to

my childhood and yesterday I spent some time in my childhood home

in Speke, which was, you know, really, for me,

it brought everything back from when I was living with Mum and Dad and my

brothers, and that led me to meeting an amazing young lady this morning,

called Olivia. She actually cares for her father.

Her father's very, very unwell.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Yeah, but she's a really, really strong lady.

She's doing a great job looking after her father,

but she's obviously struggling with the educational side of it, as well.

Because she's doing her AS-levels at the moment and you know the

-struggle you have when you're actually trying to revise for these particular examinations.

-Yeah.

So she's got to balance

the actual situation with her dad with her studies.

I don't know how I'd be able to manage with that, really.

That... That sounds really tough.

Do you think you see a lot of yourself in Olivia?

It must have been really hard going back to your parents' house.

I do see Olivia's situation mirroring my situation when I went

back and the journey I went through yesterday

really re-enforced to me that helping

somebody like Olivia, because I'm in a position to do so,

I think is the right thing to do.

So how do you feel about that?

It's amazing what you're doing. I support you, as always.

And, yeah, so proud of you.

Knowing he's got the support of his family means a lot to Bernie.

By introducing him to Olivia,

we found someone he feels is a kindred spirit.

We've gone back, now Bernie needs to go forward,

but he's got a huge decision to make.

What can he actually do to help Olivia?

It's the final piece of the jigsaw.

It's been a week since I last met Bernie.

In that time, he has met up with the very hard-working and caring Olivia.

They've got a lot in common - they've both got big hearts,

both from similar backgrounds.

The main difference, I suppose, is that Bernie's financially stable,

Olivia isn't.

I'm not saying money's everything,

but it would definitely give Olivia that independence that she

desperately craves. She gets that, I reckon the world is her oyster.

It seems to me that Bernie has a big decision to make,

one that could change Olivia's life for ever.

I'm meeting Bernie in the park

round the corner from Olivia's college,

where she's currently in lessons.

It's crunch time - what exactly has Bernie decided to do?

-How are you?

-Hi, Aled, I'm great, thank you.

-You were miles away then.

-Yeah, I was, yeah!

-Got the coffees in, as well?

-Yeah, I got the coffees in.

Good on you. Lovely to see you again.

-It's been a week, it's gone quickly.

-Yeah, it's gone quick.

-You've met Olivia.

-I have, yeah.

Million-dollar question, I suppose, can you help her in any way?

-Definitely.

-Oh, good.

Oh, yeah, for sure. I think I can help her in regards to some of

the things she's mentioned to me.

We've been having a great discussion.

-OK.

-I found out really,

really early on in our conversation that having independence and freedom

-to her, means an awful lot to her.

-Yeah.

It takes a long time to get to college on buses and so forth,

and that resonated with me, when I was that age.

So I think I'd love to help her with regards to some driving lessons.

She's just started driving lessons at the moment,

-but she doesn't have the funds to complete that course.

-OK.

So I'm going to cover the cost of £1,000.

-Hey!

-For her driving lessons and test.

And hope there'll be a little bit left to get her her first car.

To give her that independence that she really yearns for, to be fair, Aled.

-How fantastic!

-Yeah.

-She'll be over the moon.

-I hope so, I hope so.

Because it means so much to her,

and I think that will really get her onto the launch pad of where she wants to go,

from an independence point of view.

Because she hasn't seen much of life, really, because of

the caring and everything that she's had to do.

She's been so dedicated to her father and her studies, and, again,

in our conversations,

what came out is that she really has got a desire to travel the world.

And I think I can help her with that, as well.

-What do you mean?

-Well, I take regular groups of people volunteering over to Kenya.

What I'm going to do is offer her the opportunity to have an

all-expenses-paid trip, up to the tune of about £1,200, to Kenya,

with one of my volunteering groups.

-Wow!

-Yeah.

She'll enjoy eight days, all expenses paid, flights over to Kenya.

Going to see some amazing communities that she was talking about -

she wanted to see different cultures.

So I'm going to explore...she'll explore the cultures of Kenya.

And also the wildlife.

-How amazing.

-Yeah, and

hopefully she'll be delighted with that particular opportunity as well.

I think she will, don't you? I'm jealous myself!

You didn't ask me to come along, did you?

-No, I didn't!

-Let's tell her, shall we?

This is going to be brilliant. Can't wait. It's going to be awesome.

It's time to come clean to Olivia.

This is a life-changing moment.

So, the big question is, how on earth is she going to react?

Here we are, back at college!

-Yeah, wow.

-She's just finishing off her last class of the day.

And you've arranged to meet just for a chat.

-Right.

-She's got no idea that I'm here.

I cannot wait to see her face.

In front of all her friends, as well!

-How are you feeling?

-A little nervous, I have to say, a bit apprehensive.

But I put my thoughts down on paper,

so I'm going to hand her a letter with my thoughts on.

-Oh, I hope she's excited!

-I hope she will be.

Right, this is the classroom.

-Hi!

-How are you doing, you all right?

-Yeah.

Come and say hello to me.

I'm Aled.

I'm from the BBC, nice to see you.

Don't look so scared!

-You know this man, of course, don't you?

-Yeah.

-So you thought we were filming a programme about teenage carers.

-Mm.

We haven't been totally honest with you, OK.

Don't look at me like that!

You explain more, Bernie, go on.

Yeah. Well,

I was so moved by really hearing your story the other day at home.

And it really moved me.

And what I'd like to do is, I've actually prepared a note for you today.

-OK.

-Which I'd like you to read out, which really says it all.

So thank you so much.

It's exciting, isn't it?

"Dearest Olivia,

"after meeting you and hearing your story of unconditional love and

"devotion to your poorly dad,

"you have truly moved me in a very special way.

"I can see that, in the very short time I've met you,

"you are a wonderful human being, caring, loving and smart.

"You spoke colourfully about having more independence,

"which could free up more time to spend with your dad and manage your

"studies. You also spoke of one day having the opportunity

"to explore the world and experience different cultures.

"So, firstly, I'd like to get you on the road,

"and I would like you to accept...

"£1,000 to...

..to cover the cost of your driving lessons, test fee, and I hope,

"a little left towards owning your first car and giving you that freedom and

"independence you crave.

"And secondly, I will cover the cost of a £1,200

"all-expenses-paid holiday to Kenya next year after your studies.

"During your eight-day visit,

"you'll experience a true African safari in the magnificent Rift Valley,

"where you'll meet and feed baby elephants.

"Olivia, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

"You have rebooted my inspirational hard drive,

"for which I'm so grateful."

Thank you...

Aw...! How do you feel?

Happy? Aw, bless your heart.

It's amazing, isn't it?

Well, YOU'RE amazing.

How much is...? I'm welling up here myself!

And your friends are definitely welling up behind you!

LAUGHTER AND TEARS

What sort of difference is this going to make to you?

It's going to make so much difference.

In what way?

Just, like, it's a lot of help, and to get away, as well...

And how do you feel about Kenya?

Oh, that's amazing!

It's going to be a bit of a change for you.

And that car's going to make such a difference to your life, as well,

-isn't it?

-Definitely.

It's been an absolute honour and an absolute pleasure that I can

actually help you on your way,

with regards to the small gift that I have given you today.

It's not small!

I wish it was a lot more,

but I'm sure it's going to get you on the right path to your future

-success.

-Thank you so much.

-It's a pleasure.

-Aw...

-Thank you.

-I love a happy ending!

And so do your friends.

They're thinking now, "She can drive us around, it'll be brilliant!"

The only thing I'd say is, unfortunately,

that letter doesn't get you off the rest of your chemistry lessons,

so you'd better get to it! Get that Bunsen burner back on and pass your

studies. We'll leave you to it.

OK. Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-Come on, shall we?

Absolutely.

I'm going to cry!

Awwww... I'm speech...

I don't know what to say! I just don't know what to say.

Obviously, I had no idea what was going on.

As soon as he walked through the door and said my name, I was, like,

shocked, like, I had no idea.

It really fills me full of joy when I saw Olivia's reaction to the small

gift that I gave her.

Kenya!

Kenya!

I don't think I deserve this at all. I don't think I do.

I've, right now, got a lot of emotions running through me.

I'm shaking and so happy right now.

It's unbelievable.

I think it really is a suitable way to finish my journey as where

I've got to today.

You know, it's been really great getting to know Bernie,

I think he's a top man.

He's spent his whole life, through his actions, honouring his mother,

who sacrificed so much for him.

She taught her son to help those less fortunate.

How brilliant it's been watching him go back and do just that.

He's offered Olivia that lifeline of independence.

I wish her well.