28-08-2021

Happy to help!

Long standing and very active member Colin Babbs became unwell during the lockdown. Having made several visits to the hospital including admissions for a week or more his condition has not really improved. Poor Colin has lost so much weight that he has become very weak and needs a walking frame to get around. This has made it difficult just getting around the house but when he to came to leave via the front door it was almost impossible for him as there was a 9 centimetre (3½”) drop into the porch.

When you belong to a men's shed you have an army of friends ready to help and support you as much as they can. A team of 3 visited Colin's to take measurements and decide the best way to raise the floor. This was not going to be easy as the floor in the porch dropped away from the wall down towards the door. This drop had to be taken into consideration so that the door did not jam as it opened and at the same time minimised any steps that Colin would need to make getting over the threshold.

The team spent two mornings carefully reducing the drop and leaving just enough room to fully open the door without catching. While still needing a great deal of effort, Colin can just about manage to step out of his house, something most of us just take for granted.

Since completing the floor we are pleased to report that Colin has managed to gain “a little” bit of weight, so fingers crossed he is starting to make a recovery.

Click the image to step through the pictures.

Author: Chris Hodgson