It was the year 2017 when James Anderson was first called to a house when an elderly and disabled man said that another plumber had tried to con him out of about £5,500 for repairs on his home. Anderson took a look and sure enough, the recommended repairs were phony. He was ashamed of his fellow plumbers and so founded Depher (Disabled and Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Response).
The 53-year-old vowed that his service, no matter the cost, would assist elderly and disabled homes with their plumbing and heating issues.
The tradesman from Burnley, Lancashire took on another role during the pandemic. In addition to his trade skills, he also worked to provide food, PPE, and even paying bills for his clients. As a father of six kids, the £57,000 during the pandemic quickly added up. Nevertheless, he claims that the kindness was "worth every penny."
"If you’ve got disabilities, issues, sometimes these things can become too difficult to overcome and we want to make sure they’re taken care of," said Anderson.
“We’ve all got a social responsibility to each other," continued Anderson. "We need to be there for each other."
As of right now, Anderson services exclusively communities in Lancashire, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, and areas of Scotland. He has a GoFundMe set up to help pay for some of the expenses. He also works with volunteers, who served 93 homes during the holiday season.
"I haven’t taken a single day off," he said. "I’ll have enough rest when I’m dead."