Freedom Operation People Power with Dave Myers

We Brits are brilliant at volunteering.

One in four of us regularly give up our time to help others,

putting something back into the community.

I want to tap into that spirit to make good things happen.

CHEERING

I'm on a mission to discover the positive effect of volunteering,

from the volunteers themselves to the individuals and the communities

that they help.

Every day, people donate their time, expertise,

imagination and elbow grease for others.

They were in need of carpenters and volunteers,

so I just grabbed my tools and came down for the afternoon.

I never thought at the end of my life I'd be helping others.

I think volunteering's the lifeblood of what it is to be human.

-Yes!

-It's modest, ordinary people

who are making such an amazing difference to people's lives.

The world to me is a beautiful place now.

It's 360 degrees from where I've come from.

I'm better than what I was.

I couldn't do this a year ago.

My team is exploring the inspiring schemes throughout the UK.

And tackling projects of our own.

THEY SING

This is about communities at their best,

people giving to help others.

This is about the incredible things we can achieve together.

This is Operation People Power.

This could be any city, town or village in the country.

It is rich in skills and kindness that lies untapped.

And there are people who can benefit from the power and knowledge

that you have. Yes, you!

Skills that could really make a difference to your neighbours.

It would certainly make a difference to this place, Baggator,

a community hub in Bristol.

All communities need a centre and when you're in a poor area,

as we are here, one of the poorest in the country,

that centre becomes more valuable and more needed.

But Baggator has so much potential to do more for the people of Easton,

which is why we have decided to give them a helping hand

and show what can be done when we all work together.

It's remarkable but it's also quite scary

because we actually can't turn back now.

We've just got to keep moving.

To make a real difference to the people around here,

I want to do more than just transform this place.

The transformation we have in mind goes way beyond bricks and mortar.

When I was growing up,

I had the freedom to cycle around the streets of my hometown, Barrow.

But the world has changed since then.

Nowadays, we're more conscious of the dangers in letting our kids play

outside and available spaces to play are being squeezed to make way

for more housing and offices.

But I've heard of a place just round the corner from Baggator

that's giving youngsters the chance to get active and enjoy a real sense

of freedom.

Felix Road Adventure Playground has been in Easton

for more than 40 years.

It's a real oasis of play for the local kids,

an opportunity to run wild and enjoy the outdoors.

The kitchen here also provides

a hearty, home-cooked meal for the children.

For some, their only one of the day.

So, when it's busy, how many children do you get here?

We have on average between 130 and 180 children.

Funding is always on a knife edge.

Just three years ago,

Felix Road faced closure until an army of local parents

and grandparents managed to prevent the unthinkable.

It's now run entirely by volunteers, like local mum Mandy.

So, Mandy, how did you get involved in Felix Road?

It was a friend of mine actually came and said that Felix Road

-is closing because she used to work here.

-Right.

-And I was like,

"Well, that's ridiculous,

"it's been here for over 43 years, how can they close Felix Road?"

So, we decided to picket and give petitions in,

which we got within two weeks, over 6,000 signatures.

It was a show of, a bit of people power does work.

-It does.

-Yeah.

What does Felix Road mean to you, personally?

Felix Road for me means that there is a safe space for children

of all walks of life to be able to play with all sorts of children.

-Yeah.

-But it's also helping the children that have grown up

-too quickly to have a childhood.

-Yeah.

And teach them how to play again.

That's right. That's right.

We get children that have come down for the whole day because they're

not allowed back home and they don't have any food to eat

and we will supply them with a meal.

It really is the heart of the community.

It is, very much so.

We don't just get just children here.

We get their families, we get their extended families...

-Yes.

-..that bring them down. And it's actually a really,

really nice place to be able to come down and maybe,

if you want to have a little quiet time out, you can do that.

-Yes.

-But if you also want to actually just talk to somebody,

there's also somebody there to talk to as well.

What are the needs of Felix Road in order for it to continue?

Felix Road, over the years, has actually,

it's got into a bit of disrepair in certain areas.

-Right.

-The under-fives area is actually gone to quite a dire state

-at the moment.

-Right.

-We have lots of families that come on here

with little ones and it would be

nice for them to be able to have something which could

cater for them, which is a bit more up-to-date rather than...

-Yes.

-..you know, a few boards.

I mean, bring the under-fives in, you bring their mums in, too.

-Yes, yes.

-And again,

that's expanding people out the house into the community.

That's right, that's right.

It's so upsetting when you hear that places like Felix Road are so close

to the edge that there's a danger that they can close.

But what a difference volunteers can make and turn things around.

It's amazing.

Well, Mandy's brilliant and it'd be so nice just to make it

that little bit better, you know, for her and for everybody.

Around the corner at Baggator Community Centre,

it's all hands to the pump

to transform this vital neighbourhood hub.

However, Mandy has persuaded me that the adventure playground is equally

in need of some people power and so I've called Mark to take a look.

This is where it's all happening.

Oh, looks like fun, fun.

Before Nicki starts to find even more people to chip in

with their hands, their heads and hearts,

Mark needs to see what's involved and come up with a plan.

Welcome to Felix Road Adventure Playground.

-Wow!

-We are the community's back garden.

As you can see, our lovely under-fives structure here,

it looks really old and dilapidated.

It needs a good sort of overhaul, really.

That's what it really needs.

The children, they actually have built that swing themselves

because there wasn't any. So, that is a child-made swing.

They love gardening, they love being involved with it,

but it's taking up quite a lot of their...

-Right.

-..playing space.

-This is about freedom.

It is very much about freedom.

I mean, the children are free here because what the parents do,

when they bring them to Felix Road, they know that it's enclosed,

so because they know it's enclosed,

they'll sit by the entrance and

they'll actually know that their children

could literally have a free run of the place.

Do people take the time every day to tell you that you're amazing?

-SHE LAUGHS

-But you are.

-Thank you.

Because what you're doing's incredible.

Your energy's fantastic and I can

-see the passion you've got for this here.

-Yes.

So, I'm going to go and chat to a few friends.

-Yes.

-And see what we can get together.

-OK.

-Because you've blown me out of the water.

Well, Mandy's energy is incredible.

I can't believe her. She is an amazing woman

and I can see her passion for this place. It's been here for 42 years.

There's people around here who are very poor, you know.

There's people living in flats who

don't have gardens. They don't even have window boxes.

We've got to get this space working so that the kids can come here and

-have their freedom.

-Well, mate, you need to think fast, Mark.

The clock is ticking.

There's definitely no time to hang about.

Yay!

Nicki Chapman's been busy on the hunt for helpers.

She's brought a small army to transform Baggator's garden,

giving the space a lasting future.

Come on, get it moving.

She's found volunteers to run local groups for the elderly,

highlighting what a difference a bit of fun can make.

And she's connected people at the nearby Malcolm X Centre,

showing how the right person can make a huge impact.

But we've got more work to do at Baggator and now Felix Road.

Thankfully, Nicki's found a new lead,

an energetic bunch of local

volunteers who just love the outdoors.

She's meeting Pru from GoodGym.

GoodGym is the idea that we want runners to go out to do good.

So, we get them out of the gym,

get them outside and they run and they use their energy

to help local community groups and then we run away again

and we've done some volunteering, we've got some exercise.

It all brings everything into one big package.

See, I think anyone that goes to the

gym regularly should get a gold medal

anyway, but the fact that you

cleverly marry it up with good work as well,

that just seems to be a win-win.

You get the friendship of the

runners but then you also get to meet people

from across the communities who... They're so diverse.

They need our help. And when we go in and we get a massive task done,

we run away again, it's so satisfying.

-Is it?

-And that, I think that's what really draws people back every week,

is that getting stuff done really effectively.

How many volunteers do you have in total,

regularly going out and doing this?

On average we have about 30 runners

a week and generally I think we've got about 300 logged in Bristol.

I'm not sure how many we've got

across the country but it's thousands.

Pru, I'm hoping you've got time and are always looking for some

-new projects.

-Always.

Look at me, I've got my pleading hat on, I'm rubbing my hands,

because we've got an adventure

playground that really needs some help.

And you sound like the perfect team to recruit, if I can,

on a volunteer basis.

This is definitely a job for GoodGym. How can we help?

Back at Felix Road and some of our

keen locals have already made a start.

A good job, because there's some big issues to tackle.

Currently, there's nothing to stop the under-fives straying

onto the bigger climbing frames meant for older kids.

That means the parents can never really relax.

And the climbing frame that is suitable for the little ones

is in a terrible state.

Safety netting is rotten or missing altogether.

It's just not safe and may have to be closed altogether.

But there are stacks of other jobs that need doing too.

Cleaning, weeding, clearing brambles,

it all needs to be done and it will make a massive difference.

All right, Martin.

How did we get you roped in?

How did we... My boy, he asked me to help out, basically.

-Yeah.

-He said, "I volunteered you."

-Did he?

-And I said,

"Doing what?" He said, "Plastering."

And that's where it ended up and I'm...

I can't remember actually how you plaster a garden.

-No, I can't.

-I think he's a bit confused with that,

-but at least he got you on board.

-Yeah, that's it.

-That's the main thing.

-Yeah.

So I took a day off work for this.

-OK.

-I don't mind, it's something different, innit?

-Yeah, good on you.

-And it helps people out.

No, we don't need plastering here.

What we need is a new layout for the

space and that's where local gardener Nathan comes in.

I think it would be better if we

came in through that gate and then this was just an expanse of turf.

There has to be a path as well,

so I have to take that into consideration.

Right, OK. But... What are you going to make the path out of?

Bark chips.

-Oh, nice.

-Yeah.

-So, it's all going to be a nice soft area for them?

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

Well, we just need to get the materials in here now, don't we?

To really freshen this place up,

we need to give everything a lick of paint.

But first, it all needs a good clean.

We're moving the veg patch to give the kids more room to play,

but I've got a little plan to replace those veggies

with something more fragrant.

The timing's working perfectly at the moment,

and as Paul takes out the last of the worn out old fence,

the new one arrives.

But Mark's spotted a problem.

HE GROANS

This is not good. This is not good at all.

The guys have worked really hard to try and get this fence in today.

All that timber is country cut timber, so it's a rough sawn timber,

so it's going to be too sharp and splintery for children or adults

or anybody, really. I can't get through to anybody.

All their phones are buzzing.

The fencing needs to be right.

It's going to give the parents peace of mind where the young'uns play,

because Felix Road and the work they do here is just as important

for the adults as it is for the kids.

Asha had an arranged marriage at the age of 16 but after ten years,

the relationship broke down and she realised

just how unhappy she now felt.

I was insecure. I was quiet.

I couldn't do what I wanted to do, you know?

Were there times when it seemed there was no alternative?

That's what it seemed like.

I didn't know who to go to. I couldn't... Because I had no...

I've not got any family that's nearby.

Asha felt that the only option left was to leave the family home

with her two children and begin their lives again.

And I just had to kind of free myself and free my children.

I just escaped. I just got out, and I came to Bristol.

But for Asha, her new life was daunting in itself,

starting afresh in a city she didn't know.

What sort of state were you in when you arrived in Bristol?

I wasn't myself.

I was kind of all over the place.

I didn't know where I was going to start.

I didn't know anyone here.

I... It was just a sort of a new

chapter for me, if anything, in my life.

But a chance visit to Felix Road brought new hope for her

and her children.

As soon as I came to the front of the gate, it was just...

It sort of hit me, you know, when the gates opened and I just thought,

"Wow, wow, this is vibrant, it's colourful," and that's what I...

-That's what we needed.

-What was their reaction

-when they saw the massive adventure playground?

-They got really excited,

they got really happy

and they were like, "Yay, we've got somewhere to play."

Ibrahim went straight into the tennis courts,

playing football and he made friends, like, straightaway.

My daughter was playing with another girl.

The kids absolutely loved it but myself,

I sat myself in the corner where the under-fives play and I just wanted

that sort of time to myself to kind of think where I'm going to head,

where I'm going to be, what I need to do next.

As the time went on for me and I kind of came out my little bubble...

-Yeah.

-..I was approached from one of their staff and they said,

"Right, can you come and help us in the kitchen?"

And that's where it all kind of started.

Washing up the dishes, making, like, tea and coffee,

so I started to do that for parents

who were coming in with their children.

I started to open up a little bit with the staff

and I started to tell my story a little bit and they could see

why I would come in and not say anything.

-Yeah.

-And I did get a lot of support from the staff.

They're not only just a play centre. They also look out for the parents.

-Yes.

-And that's what's nice.

So, how has it changed your life?

It's made me a better person.

It's made my children better in themselves.

They've made friends, I've made friends.

-Yeah.

-You know, I get my days, don't get me wrong.

-Yeah.

-It's a wound that needs to heal at the end of the day.

-Yeah.

-And that's how I see it.

And it will take time, but I'm better than what I was.

I couldn't do this a year ago.

So, as a family it really helps life...

It's changed us. It's made us closer...

-Yeah.

-..if anything.

-Yeah.

-Sorry.

No.

It's been a place that's changed me, my life, my children.

Yeah.

And I wouldn't know where to be without Felix Road.

And you can't put a value on that, can you?

-No.

-No.

It's places like Felix Road that

show how giving people the opportunity

for those first small steps makes a huge difference.

Through the goodness and generosity of others,

lives can be completely turned around.

I'm beginning to realise that some of the things we take for granted,

like having somewhere safe for our kids to go and play,

can mean so much more to other people.

It can mean freedom, it can mean somewhere to go to meet people.

It can have huge impact on their lives.

Helping places like Baggator and Felix Road should have a big effect

on the people of Easton.

From toddlers to the older generation,

everyone will be able to get involved.

These centres are about inclusion - all ages, nationalities,

backgrounds and abilities enjoying

their community and that's all thanks

to the good people who volunteer

their time to keep these places open.

Juliet's gardening qualifications as well as her academic background mean

she knows all about the healing

power of outdoor space and the difference that it can make.

We all take freedom for granted but why is it so important to our sense

-of wellbeing?

-Well, freedom is really about self-determination,

about being able to make your own choices and I think if the freedom

to make choices is taken away from you for any reason,

that can really start to erode your self-esteem.

You feel less able to make those

choices and then little bit by little bit,

you feel less of a whole person.

Why is something like a playground so important?

The thing about an open space like a

playground is that it gives you choices.

You can decide whether

you're going to sit on your own and read a book

or just listen to the birds singing or you can sidle up to somebody

and say hello, have a chat.

And then that gives you much more of a sense of control over what

-you're doing with your day.

-And you get a rounded life.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Around the corner, we're making great strides

in our mission to transform Baggator.

And it's time for the new containers to come in.

These are replacing the condemned structures we removed.

They can be used as storage or workshop spaces.

The pressure's on at the moment to get these containers in,

but it's all worth it because

there's fewer and fewer community centres

and this community really needs this place.

So we're going to try really hard to

make sure we get to the finish on this and give them what they need.

What we might have to do is take

that rear container and move it slightly forward.

Because what it's doing is

getting too close to the top of the building there.

Don't really know what to say now.

We've got to get it in. Maybe a little bit of butter.

Never give up!

You're in!

Well done! That was tight!

So we've got 19 tonne of hard-core arriving,

and the girls are getting this all cleared out and ready.

We're going to dump the

hard-core here and the digger driver will get it

all spread in there and we'll get it all sorted.

So, Mark can leave the gang to continue the rubble moving...

..while he hops five minutes round the corner

to see how our other project's going on.

Back at Felix Road

and lots of colour, but not lots of movement.

Hmm.

Are you our lonesome volunteer today?

I am today, yeah. Just me so far.

So... Might get a flood of people coming in later, you never know.

I hope so! I hope so.

-There's an awful lot to do. What's your name?

-Victoria.

Victoria. Why have you come to join us?

A friend of mine let me know that this was happening today,

and I'm a self-employed dance teacher so I'm always, like,

back and forth throughout the day, so she knew I'd be...

-Pirouetting and...

-Here to, you know,

spin around and put some magic on the climbing frame.

Actually, I'm really hoping we get to play on the adventure playground.

-I'm sure...

-That's mainly why I'm here, really.

-Have a little play!

-Yeah.

While it's admirable that Victoria is so enthusiastic,

one volunteer was not the plan.

I'm beginning to realise what it must be like constantly for projects

that rely on volunteers.

We're going to need at least 50 people at Felix Road.

And we've got Baggator to think about too.

That's two projects on the go, and hardly enough volunteers for one.

You know, I'm beginning to wonder if we've just taken on too much.

The volunteers need to pull this off.

That's what it's about. It's about local volunteers getting in here,

sorting these projects out.

And it is quite daunting, because they're really big jobs.

It's time to find out what's going wrong.

The thing is, I thought there would be this steady stream of volunteers

but, you know, it's ended up being quite patchy.

And, at times, that patchiness, it's put the projects in jeopardy.

Yeah, I don't mind admitting there's certain times I have struggled.

You meet people in the street, they're busy, their heads are down,

they're on their way. And I can't even get past hello.

And then other times you meet people

and they literally say yes before you've finished the sentence.

But because we've been struggling,

the whole of the production team

have been involved, trying to get as many,

many people as possible, and it's been quite enlightening,

quite eye opening, to how difficult

it can be to get people to commit their time.

It looks like this day is really getting to the team.

Mark's sought refuge in a different cafe,

but he can't escape the pressure of these two projects.

At Baggator, the lifting and

shifting of containers is the current worry.

Yeah, I thought things were going

pretty well there, but we've got the second container,

which is on its way in from a place

called Avonmouth, just outside Bristol.

We've got a massive pile, 20 tonne, of hard-core

in the middle of the car park,

and the truck... There's no way the truck can get round it.

Just not ready for them.

It's really, really frustrating.

But ready or not, here they come, Mark.

I'm seriously worrying about this.

The digger driver's gone,

and also there's a pile of stone where the container's

supposed to be going.

I might have to get on the shovel.

Right, container! Oh, my goodness!

-How you doing?

-Not too bad.

It's been chaos.

I know, I came down here the other day and saw the building down.

Yeah, but it ain't now, is it?

Is there anybody here? Because we've got to get your container on there.

OK.

You do a bit of shunting. I'll do a bit of shovelling.

-All right, buddy.

-All right? The only thing that's missing,

we haven't got an awful lot of people.

Yeah?

But the big guy's positive. That's good.

He's staying positive about getting it in,

which is what we need.

Top man.

What a player. I haven't got the keys for the digger,

otherwise I would have gotten it over.

You just get all the best jobs, Mark!

This is an absolutely brilliant country that we live in.

I see it all over the country, wherever I go, wherever I'm working,

people will just help.

When you need it, they're there.

That's people power.

It's the start of a new day,

and Mark's heading back to Felix Road Playground nearby.

Last time we were here, there was nothing really happening.

I'm hoping some people have turned up

and painted one of the walls for us.

Which is something in the right direction, at least.

When people don't turn up,

my stomach just turns over and over and I end up feeling really ill.

So... It's still looking a bit quiet down here.

So we'll just see what's been done.

Well, Victoria's still here.

As is Nathan. They've been plugging away,

but there's still so much to do.

You've been just here with a couple of people today and stuff,

and keeping that momentum's quite difficult, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-But... Well, you're still smiling.

Yeah, just about.

But there's only so far a positive attitude can take you.

We need numbers on the ground to get this done.

If you want volunteers, us Brits are actually a very generous bunch,

with more than a quarter of us helping others every single month.

And, thanks to Nicki,

it looks like some of those kind

souls are on their way to lend us a hand.

Just in the nick of time.

Pru and her Lycra clad GoodGymmers.

So this is what you do, just gallop around the town

-and go to different projects?

-Yeah.

-Helping out?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, we keep fit and we do some volunteering at the same time.

-Everyone's a winner.

-I love it.

All right, guys. Thank you very much. You look amazing.

Especially you in your checked shirt, obviously.

Brilliant, isn't it? Everybody's very energetic.

They really are, yeah. And also very big kids, as...

-As you've seen.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly.

And the laughing, and the giggling so, yeah...

-That's good.

-I will grab some of

them and we will get the painting going.

-Thank you.

-Cool.

So, there we go. They've started on the painting now over there.

Well, it certainly feels like these guys are making a real difference

and it's definitely lifted Mark's spirits.

Down the road, I think something else that's lifted the spirits

is the bold new green painted frontage of Baggator,

a massive improvement on the uninviting dull grey it used to be.

And that was something that Bruce, the custodian of this community hub,

always felt was holding this place back.

The main entrance, it looks like an industrial estate.

Any improvement done that can be seen from outside will encourage

people to come in, and once they're in,

they will see all the other resources available to them.

The green is a great start,

but we think we can do more to

capture the imagination of passers-by

and encourage them in.

Bristol's famous for its street artists,

and what better way to turn a building round than make it look

absolutely fabulous? Give it a bit of excitement and get it out there,

you know, so people know and recognise it.

Mark's meeting up with a group of

local graffiti artists who have got some grand plans.

We're really moved that you've come on board to do this for us,

to volunteer. You've volunteered to do this.

Thank you so much.

What can you do with this building?

We sketched this out really quickly last night.

I do a lot of trees and nature, so I'm going to do a decorative design.

Andy's going to do some cool letters, positive message.

Ian, hi.

Can I just ask you one thing,

this is how you make your living?

-Yeah.

-Why have you decided to give your time up

to help this particular project?

I mean, I live just round the corner so I'm used to walking past

here and, you know, the building's just got into a bit of a state,

so it'll be really nice to turn it into something fresh and something

people actually want to see rather than being something that's almost

-an eyesore.

-Guys, this is amazing.

Thank you so much. We haven't got a lot of time to do this,

let's make it absolutely amazing.

It's over to you. Thank you.

Well, there's no time like the present, fellas!

While we've been busy in Bristol,

Martyn Ashton has been meeting many more of you fantastic people

enriching the lives of others

through your generosity and kindness.

We need to learn from this and take inspiration back to our own projects

in Bristol.

What I'm beginning to realise, Martyn,

is that freedom's so important and it's something that we take

-for granted.

-Well, a great example is the Calvert Trust.

I went to Exmoor. They just don't think that anyone with a disability

shouldn't have this opportunity to

try things and really experience freedom.

The Calvert Trust was set up

in the '70s to help people with disabilities

get active in the countryside.

These days, its three UK centres

welcome more than 15,000 visitors each year.

Daisy has been riding at the centre for the last six years.

Good girl, keep him straight!

To your left...

Her mum Lynne has really noticed the impact it's had on Daisy's life.

So Daisy definitely enjoys riding.

What is it she gets out of it?

It's built up her self-esteem, her confidence.

She's more outgoing.

She's just more worldly because of it.

She just loves the fact that she's free here, I think.

She's growing as a person because they're giving her...

They're giving her jobs to do,

they're giving her a little bit of responsibility.

So tell me about the volunteers.

How important are they to the Calvert Trust?

Volunteers here are really important,

because of the numbers of people you need.

If you have three wheelchair users

in one group you need more volunteers.

So the volunteers work with the staff very closely.

We get training to use the hoists and all the equipment.

A lot of us do it because we want to give something back,

because we love the way the centre is and how it works,

the things it does for people.

And what's this?

Amber, that's it. Do you think you

know the personalities of the horses?

Can you tell when he's in a good mood?

Yeah, because he stamps his feet.

He stamps his feet

when he's in a good mood?

You can tell when he's excited?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

What does it feel like when you come here?

Really upset when I go.

You get upset when you go back?

-Yeah.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

Cos... Does here feel like...?

Home.

Feels like home here?

-Does it really?

-Yeah.

Wow. So I think we're going to do a little bit of horse riding,

-me and you together.

-Yeah.

-That would be good, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

-Shall we go and do it?

-Yeah.

-Come on, then. Let's go.

-Are you going to push me?

-Whee!

Whee, it goes fast!

This is a big hill, do you want my help now?

-No!

-No? Well, I'll grab this bit and it will pull us round.

Push, push, push! Push, Daisy! Push!

So, we've got this ramp that's been designed so it can come down,

so people like yourself, in wheelchairs,

can get as close to the horse as possible and get yourself on.

-OK?

-I never thought I'd sit on a horse,

before I had my accident or afterwards.

-Ready?

-Yeah.

I'm pretty flexible.

-I'm kind of on.

-Using your voice, just say, "Bryn, walk on!"

Bryn, walk on!

-Oh, he did!

-He does.

I didn't... I wasn't entirely sure he would.

This feels awesome!

I'm catching you up, Daisy!

It's a nice feeling walking past my wheelchair.

That's a strange sentence.

I just walked past my wheelchair over there.

-Oh, yeah!

-Yeah.

I feel like a proper horse rider now, Daisy.

I do. King Martyn and Princess Daisy.

So you got a bit of personal freedom?

Yeah, it does make you think, doesn't it?

You know, I just did something I've never done in my life before because

someone volunteered to help.

So, personally, it must've been mind-blowing, really?

It really was. But it just goes to show that we've all got a perception

of what we can and can't do,

but if someone can give you the

opportunity and just push your boundaries

a little bit, it shows you what you can discover.

And that sense of freedom is really powerful.

And it's really, really important.

Whether volunteering to share your skills or, indeed,

to learn new ones,

donating time regularly is a great way to meet new people.

Ah, the fencing boys are here. Great.

Careful what you say, Mark!

Fencing girls!

Yes.

The number of volunteers is ever growing, and that's what we need.

Even a few local police officers have come to join in.

Hello, ladies!

Straight on.

Let's get this timber out of here.

Ah, the strong arm of the law comes

in handy when you're shifting timber,

doesn't it, Mark? Things are definitely moving today.

Hiya, Sharon.

I'm a complete control freak.

Let me show you what to do.

Hold that as if you're holding a pen, right?

Get the paint on the end of the brush so it's not all over it,

and then just get it stippled in, there.

Use the whole brush. Work the brush, get it right in, there.

Then give it a couple of big, sweet strokes.

And then you'll get loads...

Loads of coverage. Yeah?

And that's what it's all about.

Locals coming together and getting involved,

taking ownership of the space, their space.

Ladies, what I want you to do is the climbing frame there.

We've got three different colours.

Pick a colour and go.

Open them up, get a clean stick and keep them really thin.

That one's going to take a couple of coats, isn't it?

Don't get it on the floor, remember.

Maybe we could speckle it?

No, you can't speckle it.

You can't speckle it!

Speckle it.

It wasn't me. Why would you think that was me?

Why would I...? Why...?

Hmm.

Hmm, you'd make a good detective, Mark.

Bom, bom, bom. Run your posts in, set everything out.

Do your rails.

By the end of play today we should have a fence.

Nice!

As the sun starts to set, there's still a lot to do at Felix Road.

And down the road at Baggator,

our community hub is looking decidedly quiet.

I only hope the new day will bring yet more volunteers.

It's our final day at Felix Road Adventure Playground.

And, true to form, our wonderful volunteers have come together

for one big final push to get the job done.

Felix Road is now a hive of activity.

Nicki's found volunteers from far and wide.

They're clearing, painting, constructing,

all desperate to get this place finished and ready

for the little ones of Easton to enjoy later.

I'm really hoping this works.

-I am, too.

-Wow!

-Yes!

-It's brilliant!

Look at the different colours!

It's beautiful!

Guys, it looks amazing!

Fantastic!

Superb!

This place has become a magnet for like-minded, selfless people.

They've dropped all their plans for today to come and help.

Yeah, lovely.

We've certainly got numbers on the ground today, but there's a problem.

Our painters are running out of fence to paint.

But Darren and Paul have finished their day job and they're back just

in the nick of time to help.

-The fences are here!

-Wa-hey!

About time too.

That's certainly music to Wayne's ears and I'm glad.

He and his wife Lily have driven for over an hour from South Wales

to help us today. How's it going?

-All right, thank you.

-Fine, yeah.

-Yeah.

-It's looking amazing.

-I know, thank you.

-No, thank you.

How did you hear about the project?

It was on social media. We seen it on the computer last night.

It's such a good cause, you know?

It is, it is.

So we've volunteered and come over.

This place means such a lot to such a lot of people.

-Yes, I can imagine.

-I can't thank you enough.

-That's no problem at all.

-Best of luck. Thank you.

-Thanks very much.

-OK, bye!

And thanks to all their hard work,

together with the rest of our volunteers,

there's just finishing touches to do now before we open

this place up to the nippers.

Yeah!

-It's a bit rickety, isn't it?

-Maybe...

Maybe we could put one of them tyres on it?

You know what? I feel like dancing.

It's no wonder you didn't win that dancing programme, is it?

Week seven, mate. Week seven.

Was it?

It's going to really transform it for the kids when they come back

and see it later on.

My son, who's five, comes here all the time.

And I'd like to bring him here later and show him

all the hard work that's been put in

by all the local volunteers.

Do you know, it really is momentous what's going on around here.

And Felix Road, I mean,

it just shows what can be done when people put their minds to it,

you know? I've got to know some really wonderful people since we've

been working here, and I think it's impossible to overestimate

the impact this place has on people's lives.

Up to 200 children will be playing here every day in the summer,

the parents as well.

And, you know, it's just so good to make it better,

to make it safer and to make it fit for purpose.

We need places like this and, you know,

if volunteers are the people who can keep this together, bring it on!

Our team of more than 50 volunteers

have done a great job over the last few days.

Come in and have a little wander around, madam.

I will, I will. Thank you.

Thank you. Here we go. We've repaired the worn out climbing frame

and replaced its safety netting.

In fact, the whole place has been made safer now,

with hazards cleared and new play features added.

This is nice.

-Very, very nice.

-You see, we've got those beds.

They're not just beautiful, are they, Mark?

No, they're not. What we've got planned for the beds...

-OK.

-As they grow, we can have herbs and stuff in there.

What we thought we'd use them for is for the kids to smell everything,

so they can crush the plants, they can smell them...

Rosemary, lavender.

And just feel them, and it's just a lovely...

But once that gate's shut, they're safe in here.

Well, the thing about a playground is

-the proof of it is in whether the kids like it.

-Well, let's see.

Come on in, let's go, everybody!

Go on, then!

Come on!

Well, the kids seem to love it.

Ibrahim and Zayir are already testing out the climbing frame.

-Do you like that?

-So what do you think of all this?

Brilliant. It looks really nice.

It looks nice and bright. It looks safe.

Zoe's on it already and she's enjoying herself. It's really nice.

It really is good for your heart,

-seeing the kids just having such a good time.

-Yeah.

-Are you happy?

-I am ecstatically happy.

That'll do us, Dave. That'll do us.

Oh, thank you very much.

-Thank you. Thanks for having us here.

-Any time.

Next time, inspired by what we've achieved so far,

the work at Baggator picks up.

And I spot another little job for Mark and the team

just around the corner.

I think I've been framed.