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A new beginning for Kelly’s kids

Metricon

When a woman loses her life in a heartbreaking act of domestic violence, the profound sorrow is deeply felt by the community that knew and loved her.

This was tragically exemplified in the death of Gold Coast mother Kelly Wilkinson. However, Kelly's sister, Danielle, and her husband, Rhys, were resolute in preserving her memory. They opened their hearts and home to her three wonderful children, in addition to their own five, in a loving and compassionate act.

When we heard about this heart-warming story, we had to step in, joining forces with local businesswoman Tamika Smith and an army of local tradies and suppliers to build them a home that would provide them the space and sanctuary they needed.

After months of hard work involving so many of the local community, Kelly’s kids and their expanded family finally moved into a beautiful new Metricon home big enough to embrace them all. We hope they’ll make many happy memories in the customised two-storey, seven-bedroom Merricks with three living areas, a study, plenty of outdoor space, and a double garage.

Metricon CEO Brad Duggan said that it was deeply humbling for Australia’s leading home builder to offer a helping hand for the family. “At our heart, we’re a family-owned business,” he says. “When we heard what Kelly’s family endured, and the fact that Danielle and Rhys were stepping up to grow a pretty large family overnight into an even larger one, we were compelled to do whatever we could to help.”

Metricon’s passionate team understands how vital a roof over your head is when you need to feel safe and secure, especially after a tragedy like this. That’s why building Kelly’s kids the best home we could was so important.

“The home was crafted with love and attention to detail, aiming to provide the family with a safe and comfortable space to rebuild their lives,” Brad says. “Witnessing the heart-warming outcome as we presented them with their new home was a moment all of us at Metricon can be proud of.” Brad Duggan

Press play and watch the captivating timelapse footage as the beautiful home for Kelly Wilkinson's family comes to life. From slab pour then frame stage, to the final finishing touches...

Rhys says that the new home is a dream come true for Kelly’s kids. “They’re looking forward to the new house, and more so that it’s theirs, rather than them being in our house,” he says of the ownership they feel and the sense of security that allows. “I think there’s always that in the back of their mind, so that’s going to be a massive thing for them.”

Tamika says more needs to be done nationwide to make sure this never happens again. “This family, like so many others, deserved more. This is our community standing up to say we aren’t okay with this and that people deserve so much more than to be a political statistic.”

The founder of My Bella Casa, Tamika has dedicated her life to providing housing for vulnerable families. “People deserve more than short-term strategies, and this is us standing up to do and be more to help these kids,” she says.

Brad extended his heartfelt gratitude to everyone who chipped in, including the army of local suppliers and community volunteers, as well as Greg Heaton, Jeremy Meyer, Mardi Phelan, Lisa Goodsall, Matthew Winter, Josiah Whyte and the broader Queensland team who worked so hard on bringing this dream to fruition.

It really did take a village.

“If there are heroes here today, it’s the guys that sit behind us that help us every day and have really delivered something I am incredibly proud of,” Brad says, “It is through collective efforts like these that we can foster hope, healing and a sense of togetherness.”

Thank you to our generous suppliers:

A&L Windows, Adbri Concrete, Alldrott, Annand | KND Electrical, ATT, Austral Bricks, Beacon Lighting Commercial, BIG W, IGB Interiors, Boral Concrete, Boral Plasterboard, Boyds Bay, Brendan Rafter, Builders Academy, Buildsafe, Caesarstone, Capitol Concrete, Ross Brunner, Carpet Call, Chromagen, Civic Showerscreens & Wardrobes, Claytons Kitchens, Clipsal by Schnieder Electrics, CSR Plasterboard, Deep Blue Air Conditioning, Diesel Digit, DSL Plumbing, Dulux, Dynamic Doors, Eagle Cranes, EE- Fit, Fisher & Paykel, FLEXI-FOAM POD, Fujitsu, Gainsborough Hardware, Glen Dimplex, Godden Painting, Goop Guys, GWA (Caroma), Hudsons Building Group | Home Timber & Hardware, James Hardie, Jeldwen Group, JLS Painting, Laminex, Bluescope | COLORBOND® steel, Lovelight Blinds, Mainline Plumbing, National Masonary, National Tiles, Network Steel, Sam Suljo, Partners in Grime, PGH Bricks (CSR), Plungie, RACQ Solar, Reece Plumbing Supplies, Residential Scaffold, S&A Stairs, STA Engineering, Revitalise Landcare, Steve Cooper Surveyor, Stoddart Building Group, Stratus, Super Stubbie, Temple & Webster, Termicide, Termidry | Smart Built, TFH, Willis Bros, Swimart, McCullough Robertson Lawyers, Shadow Minister for Environment, Crest Accountants, Griffith Uni.