Professional Builder’s Lee Jones talks to a tradesman who’s utilised his plumbing skills as a force for good
James Anderson has been plying his trade in the Lancashire area for some 26-years and in that time had become increasingly aware that many in his community were struggling to afford vital repairs to their properties. It was a reality that would be starkly revealed in what initially promised to be a just another job.
“We’d been asked to quote by an old lady’s family,” recalls the Burnley-based plumber. “She had an old multipoint water heater that was in a state and needed replacing as a matter of urgency. The price for the whole job would have been a thousand pound or more, and it transpires that she was a widow for whom money worries had come to a head. On the dining room table was a bowl where she’d placed all her medications because she’d decided to take her own life and be with her late husband again. I contacted the Mayor of Burnley and with his support, together with Age Concern, we were able to enlist the help of a company in Preston to install a new boiler free of charge. That was really how it all started.”
“I learned a very valuable lesson that day – that when everything about a situation seems dark ordinary people do have the power to bring in some light – and that’s the principle behind D.E.P.H.E.R.” [Disabled & Elderly Plumbing & Heating Emergency Repairs]. That was in 2017 and, astonishingly, in the five years since its inception the 54-year-old tradesman has now helped over 40,000 individuals and counting. The organisation he founded can now boast a nationwide reach, with projects undertaken everywhere from the Highlands of Scotland to London and the Home Counties. “Sub-contractors will come on board to carry out some of the work, and we’ll foot the bill, and when we contact a local engineer ourselves it’s always heartening to experience just how many people buy into what we’re doing. When we started it was just me and two lads but there’s now 13 of us, and that’s set to grow even more.”
James is approached by family members, and community with details of deserving cases. The work he does is hugely varied encompassing everything from accessible shower and bathroom installs to a blocked toilet or dripping tap: “At first I was shocked by the scale of the problem,” he admits. “With the effect of the pandemic, and now the cost of living crisis, however, it’s a situation that’s getting worse, not better. Over just one weekend recently we had 23 emails from individuals asking us for help. It’s not just about building or plumbing repairs either because – where we can – we’ll run food shopping trips for the vulnerable or top up meters for those who can’t afford the gas.”
D.E.P.H.E.R has also been called on to rectify the nefarious work of rogue traders, as James reveals: “In one case a supposed plumber had tried to install a bathroom but had actually put the occupiers lives in danger by leaving electric wires protruding from the wall. He’d charged them £9,000 so they simply had no money left – which is where we came in. As a result, they’ve now got a beautiful and safe bathroom at no extra cost.”
Disabled & Elderly Plumbing & Heating Emergency Repairs or D.E.P.H.E.R has since developed into a CIC (Community Interest Company) and whatever profit from the private work James still undertakes is fed into its fund. There’s also been seem very high-profile support, with actor Hugh Grant donating £25,000 to the cause.
As well as that James and the D.E.P.H.E.R team have received personal accolades, including from Pride of Manchester and an SGS Engineering 2022 Local Hero Award. The latter was based on a public ballot by UK residents and James received 70 per cent of the vote. “It’s very humbling to receive recognition from ordinary people,” he admits, “and the cash prize will go to a very worthy cause in the community.”
“When you’re confronted with a vulnerable individual who can’t afford to repair or replace their heating – and are sitting in the cold as a consequence – you do consider your own humanity and what you can do to change things. It was a long haul to get going and there was a lot of debt at the beginning, because we were going into something that we didn’t have any experience. At first we were just giving everything away with no real plan but we now have a definite structure in place and are able to help more people as a result. What was acutely apparent from the outset, however, was that there was a real need for what we are doing.”
For further information on D.E.P.H.E.R visit https://www.depher.com/
