Oldham family named among the UK's lockdown DIY champions

Date published: 11 July 2020


Many Brits have used lockdown to tackle some DIY and now some of the most creative projects have been revealed.

Sofa and carpet specialist, ScS, has undergone a nationwide search for the most brilliant home renovations from the last few months after Google searches for ‘DIY’ more than trebled in the UK.

Jacqui Ruddy, aged 56, from Manchester, was crowned the winner of the competition after creating an incredible 9ft long playhouse boat for her seven-year-old nephew made entirely of cardboard.

Having beaten over 200 other entrants, Jacqui will receive a brand new sofa from ScS worth £599.

She said: “My nephew loves boats, so to brighten our days during lockdown, I decided to try my hand at making him a playhouse boat, so he can play in the garden. 

“It is the first time I’ve made anything like this before.

"My nephew loves it and we have even camped out in it overnight, so it's already special for those memories.”

Andy Wilson (aged 46, from Oldham) and his family took sixth place in the competition.

Andy did his DIY on the ‘cheep’, using leftover wood to produce his so-called “chicknic table”.

His whole family chipped in to help and the hens certainly seem pleased with the result.

Dale Gillespie, Head of Acquisition at ScS, said: “We were blown away by the number and quality of entries in our competition - it’s clear that Brits have put their time in lockdown to very good use!

“Jacqui’s fantastic playhouse boat was a very worthy winner and we’re delighted to provide her with a brand new sofa.”


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