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Yvonne is 70 years old and should be enjoying peace, warmth, and security in the home she’s lived in for decades. Instead, she’s been left with the pain and chaos of a shattered dream.
After saving carefully, Yvonne hired a trader to build a modest extension so she could live safely and comfortably as she grows older. She did everything right: she asked, she trusted, she paid. Then the unthinkable happened. The trader took £14,000 of her life savings and left her without the extension she was promised—no safe finish, no comfort, just stress, worry, and a half-story of broken promises. Yvonne bravely tells her experience in this video, so no one else has to go through it.
“At 70, I never imagined I’d be starting again.”
I (Graham Nash) from Pinnacle Builders am organising this fundraiser because no one—least of all a 70-year-old grandmother—should be left to pick up the pieces alone after being taken advantage of by a rogue trader. We’re stepping in to put the work right and give Yvonne the extension she expected and deserves.
This isn’t about profit. It’s about dignity. It’s about restoring a safe home, restoring faith, and reminding Yvonne that there are more good people in this world than bad.
What your donation will do?
Every pound will go directly toward:
- Making the site safe — clearing and securing any dangerous or substandard work.
- Materials & labour — building the extension properly, to current standards.
- Essential finishes — insulation, heating/electrics, windows/doors, plastering, flooring, so Yvonne can actually live comfortably.
- Professional oversight — ensuring the job meets building control and is done right the first time.
We will share progress updates, photos, and receipts so you can see your kindness turning into bricks, warmth, and peace of mind for Yvonne. (Her story, including the £14,000 loss to the rogue trader, is described in the video linked above.
Why this matters
- Because 70 should mean security, not sleepless nights.
- Because no one should lose their savings to a rogue trader.
- Because communities are built when we show up for each other.
If you can give, please give. If you can’t, a share is powerful. Every donation—large or small—moves Yvonne from fear to safety, from a broken promise to a finished home.
Transparency & stewardship
- Funds raised will be held for Yvonne’s build and spent on the items listed above.
- We’ll post regular updates with milestones (start date, inspections, key stages, completion).
If we raise more than needed, any surplus will go toward contingency for Yvonne’s ongoing home needs or, with her blessing, to help another local victim of rogue trading.
A personal ask
I’ve built a lot of extensions. I’ve never met anyone who deserves one more than Yvonne. Help us turn her courage into completion. Help us show that when someone tries to take everything, community gives it back—stronger.
Please donate today and share Yvonne’s story. Thank you.
Organizer and beneficiary
Karla Elliott
Beneficiary