Meet the plumber on a kindness mission
Big-hearted plumber James Anderson can’t stop himself helping people in need – for free
Winter is always a busy time of year for the man dubbed Britain’s Kindest Plumber. So naturally James Anderson is feeling frustrated to have to self-isolate recently.
“You can see it in his eyes as he looks out of the window, desperate to be out there helping people,” says wife Barbara whose hero husband (who thankfully has only had mild Covid-19 symptoms) has helped fix heating and plumbing systems for free or at very low cost for 2,500 vulnerable families during the pandemic.
And at the last count, the numbers who have benefited from his extreme generosity has rocketed to 10,396 in under three years. Around 90 per cent of these haven’t paid a penny for James’s services.
Helping poor, elderly and disabled people in dire need of heating, hot water or bathroom facilities is what the 53-year-old granddad from Burnley, Lancashire, sees as his responsibility.
“You can’t realistically as a human being go into someone’s home and see that they’ve got no money, no food, no heating or hot water, and leave them cold, hungry and scared, to then come back to your own beautiful home, a hot meal and sleep in a comfortable bed.
“It’s not a matter of ‘can you afford it?’ It’s respect for another human being. If you see someone in distress, you need to stop, look and help. We’ve all got a social responsibility to be there for each other.”
James is speaking on his 12th day of isolation in late January and he has just two more to go before he can be back out on the road fixing and mending boilers and heating systems.
But he is still working from home answering 25 calls and emails a day, offering emergency advice and pre-booking appointments. “I’ve been very lucky. Apart from a sore throat and headache and feeling a bit dizzy and tired I’ve been OK,” adds the man who admits he prays every morning and night for strength to continue his work. “I believe in God and my mum brought me up with old-school morals. No matter what you did, she’d never turn her back on you. That’s made me who I am.”
James, who shares six children and three grandchildren with his second wife Barbara (47), began his work in March 2017 after he received a call from an elderly man wanting a second opinion after being quoted an extortionate amount for a new boiler. Angry that he was being taken advantage of, James decided to forgo his £30,000 a year salary and set up the community initiative company Depher (Disabled and Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Response).
He was crowned Britain’s Kindest Plumber on social media after news came to light that he had charged a 91-year-old woman with leukaemia nothing for repairing her boiler.
Soon donations flooded in to the fundraising website gofundme, set up to enable him to do more. He’s now been able to take on eight paid staff and expand his work, and has received a number of national awards.
One of his more recent good deeds was to donate the final £800 of an appeal for a specialist bath for 53-yearold Julie Allen’s disabled daughter Rose (18), which he then fitted for free in November.
Julie says: “This man is a walking saint. He deserves a knighthood at least. I can’t sing his praises enough. It’s not just because of what he’s done for me. I’ve seen what he does for so
‘We’ve all got a social responsibility to be there for each other’
many other people and it staggers me. He needs cloning and putting all round the country. Everybody needs a James Anderson.”
James, whose only ambition is to one day take Barbara away for the weekend and tour the UK in a hired
camper van with her and their Husky dog, Thor, denies he’s anyone special.
“I am not a hero. Barbara is the real hero,” he says. Following a serious car accident which left her disabled, Barbara received compensation which enabled her to
buy the house they live in. The money she invested allows them to pay their
‘I am just doing what needs to be done. I’m a simple person doing simple things’
living costs. She also works voluntarily in a second-hand shop set up to help fund the work of Depher.
“She supports me so I can support Depher,” says James, who has extended the work of his not-for-profit company to include setting up a food bank and delivering food parcels and personal protection equipment.
“I am just doing what needs to be done. I am a simple person doing simple things. As long as I’ve got a good meal to come home to – and Barbara’s beef stew and dumplings is the best in the world – I’m happy doing what I do. “I like to relax by watching Emmerdale and Coronation Street. You can keep your yachts and big houses. I don’t want to be rich.”
So if it’s not money, what does motivate him to get out of bed in the middle of the night to help in an emergency and work around 50-60 hours a week for absolutely nothing? “It’s a smile from somebody you’ve helped. There’s nothing nicer than a smile. Richness comes out of kindness. My heart is full of joy because of what I do.”
■ If you’d like to support James’s work go to uk.gofundme.com/f/depher-communitysupport-services
■ Do you know any community heroes like James whose kindness is making a difference? We’d love to hear about them. Write or email us at the Yours address on p3. Mark your