Case study: F. Ball Helps Children in Need Big Build
High-performance adhesives from F. Ball and Co. Ltd. have played a role in the DIY SOS ‘Big Build’ for BBC Children in Need, in partnership with Morning Live, involving the creation of a brand-new gym facility for childhood cancer charity The Joshua Tree at its Cheshire support centre.
Responding to the call for tradespeople, long-time F. Ball customer Fitout Flooring Ltd., based in Chilworth, volunteered their time and expertise to install flooring for the 12-day ‘Big Build’. When F. Ball’s local technical representative learned of the project, the company stepped in to donate the adhesives required for the installation.
Contractors from Fitout Flooring Ltd. used F. Ball’s Styccobond F58 PLUS to install rubber floorcoverings to plywood subfloors in the gym.
Styccobond F58 PLUS transitions from a wet-lay state when initially applied to the subfloor to become fully pressure sensitive. When used as a wet-lay adhesive, it is also suitable for adhering rubber floorcoverings up to 4mm thick. The fast-drying formulation enables floorcoverings to be secured from just five minutes following application of the adhesive.
F. Ball’s Styccobond F3 was used to install a numbered artificial grass turf track in the middle of the room. The water-based rubber/resin flooring adhesive which offers excellent wet grab and benefits from an early build up of strength. It is also protected against bio-degradation and compatible for use with over 70% of the floorcoverings listed in the F. Ball Recommended Adhesives Guide (RAG®).
Commenting on the project, Russell Carpenter, sales director of Fitout Flooring Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be able to support a project to help extend the invaluable work of the charity. The entire project required completing in 12 days, and we had a small window in which to install floorcoverings owing to needing to work around other trades, and F. Ball products helped with this.”
Rich Driffield, CEO at The Joshua Tree, added: “Our families need spaces that feel safe, calm and welcoming all year round. Seeing the building come together so quickly was extraordinary, but what mattered most was knowing it had been properly thought through by the whole project team and would be comfortable from day one. As a charity, we now support families across the UK through a range of on-site and outreach activities. With our main centre fully developed, we have laid strong foundations for the future of The Joshua Tree and, most importantly, are now able to support even more families affected by childhood cancers.”
The Joshua Tree was founded in 2006 by Dai and Lynda Hill following their own experience of childhood cancer. When their son Josh was diagnosed with Leukaemia, they found no services that supported the emotional well-being of the whole family from diagnosis through post-treatment. They created The Joshua Tree to meet this need and embedded a community-led ethos from the start. That legacy continues, with families involved in shaping, evaluating, and delivering our services. The charity supports families affected by childhood cancers across North West England, North Wales and further afield.