Princes William And Harry Join DIY SOS To Build Homes For Veterans

The Royal princes are helping to renovate houses in a north Manchester suburb to turn it into a village for Armed Forces veterans, helping to give them a home and find ex-army jobs once they re-enter civilian life.

Princes William and Harry be among hundreds of volunteers lending a hand for the BBC programme DIY SOS yesterday (Wednesday September 23rd) to give a street in Newton Heath a facelift. They will renovate eight buildings and improve the exterior of 62 houses in total.

Presenter of the TV show Nick Knowles told Sky News about the largest DIY SOS project to date, stating: “It’s a national disgrace we have derelict homes and people who are homeless, and if those homeless people also happen to be veterans, it makes sense to bring everyone together and make this happen.”

The scheme is aimed at raising awareness of ex-service personnel and the problems they face when they rejoin civilian life.

As well as new homes, the build will include a walk-in support centre on the street run by the Royal British Legion and the Walking With The Wounded charity. Here, they will be able to see therapy, counselling, and support in finding veterans’ jobs.

They will also be given assistance in retraining to learn new skills to better equip them with life outside of the military.

The princes have got involved in the project due to their strong connections with the forces.

Prince William worked in the Royal Air Force until he left operational service in September 2013, and Prince Harry has had a career in the military since 2005. He has served two operational tours of Afghanistan during this time.