A plumber who has been hailed a hero after refusing to charge an elderly woman has vowed to help thousands more people if he gets more funding.

James Anderson, 52, has been warming the homes of vulnerable people for free but when news of his good deed broke, he helped warm the hearts of people across the country too.

His generosity came to light after a bill was posted online revealing how he didn’t charge a 91-year-old woman with acute leukaemia.

He said since relaunching his business as a not-for-profit company called Depher CIC in 2017, he’s helped nearly 2,400 people by refusing to charge them or by charging just a small amount.

On a crowdfunder website, supporters have raised more than £28,000 so James can help more vulnerable people to get through ‘the critical winter period’.

The dad-of-five, from Burnley, told Metro.co.uk: ‘More than anything I just want to urge people to check on their elderly or vulnerable neighbours.

He has urged anyone who is struggling and has problems with their plumbing to give him a call.

Speaking from inside his van just before another job, James said: ‘When it gets to winter and I get a call from someone over 65 or disabled I cannot turn them down because I know just how much suffering they can go through.

‘I’ve seen it first hand.’

James said he once met an 83-year-old woman who was planning on taking her own life rather than suffering through another freezing winter before he stepped in to help. He said he encounters situations like that a lot.

His passion for helping people in need has come at a personal cost. James’ charitable work has seen him fall into £8,000 of debt.

But after his story was published and shared hundreds of thousands of times, James said he has had an influx of paid work requests and that he will now be able to get it under control.

He said: ‘My wife has always been very supportive of my work. We own our home and I do have a few normal jobs so I take home around £200 a week to pay the bills.

‘The banks and my suppliers also know about my work and give me more time to pay off those debts as well.

‘But it’s been a price worth paying. I have seen the tears on some people’s faces and the smiles on their faces after a job well done.

‘There’s no better feeling.’

During the summer James helps between three to seven people a week for free but during the winter he could be helping ten people every day.

If Depher CIC gets more funding he has promised to take it nationwide and said he already has a good system in place with plenty of engineers around the country willing to help.

James added: ‘I don’t think that any elderly or disabled people should be dying because they can’t afford to heat their homes, not in this day and age.’

Got a story for Metro.co.uk?

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]. For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article