Building Blitz 2025: From Brick Sheds to Building Schools

One man's journey from bodging in the backyard to blitzing in Cape Town

Hello friends, colleagues, and anyone who’s ever trusted me near a power tool.

Some of you may recall the legendary rebuild of my old brick shed some 25+ years ago—not so much Grand Designs as guesswork & glue. Throw in a course on building a highly questionable brick BBQ (constructed under the influence of youth, optimism, and zero spirit levels). Add a dose of competence from an electrician’s qualification I took just to learn how to create sparks, and what do you get?

Apparently… someone qualified to help build a school!

This November, I’m heading to Cape Town with Mellon Educate for The Building Blitz 2025, joining 400 other volunteers—including three brave colleagues from Ekco—to build a new school in just one week.

What’s the plan?

We’ll be swapping keyboards and caffeine for concrete mixers and bricklaying—and probably inventing new ways to use a tape measure—as we transform an under-resourced school into a modern learning space. Then we hand it over to the local community to educate and empower the next generation.

Think DIY SOS: South Africa Edition—but swap the tearful reveal for kids with a future, and Nick Knowles for, well… me.

What’s this got to do with you?

My company, Ekco, has kindly stepped in to cover my travel and accommodation—so every penny I raise goes directly to support the charity and their incredible work on the ground.

Mellon Educate has been changing lives since 2002, having already built or refurbished homes and schools for over 50,000 people across Africa. Their mission is to end poverty through education—and this blitz is part of that legacy.

How can you help?

By donating. Whether it’s the cost of a coffee, a bag of cement, or a new spirit level bubble, your support will help give children a safe, functional place to learn—and the tools to shape their own futures.

So if you’ve ever:

Tinkered with my tools,

Lent on my ladder,

Admired my interiors,

Or just want to help a brilliant cause…

…then now’s the time to support me in giving something back.

Thanks so much for reading—and wish my back (and the local Building Regs) good luck.