'It would mean a lot more people suffering': Plumber offering free work to elderly close to shutting

A plumber who carries out free work for elderly and disabled customers has warned he is close to having to shut down his company because of a lack of funding.

James Anderson, 54, runs a not-for-profit company which works with a network of plumbers and heating engineers to provide work for customers unable to afford it.

It's funded by paying customers and donations from the public, but over the last 18 months there has seen a dip in donations as people feel the financial impact of the pandemic.

"We went into the pandemic with about £130,000 and we've now got about £27,000, so you can see it's a massive impact," Mr Anderson said.

"We used to have enough money coming so we could help a lot of people, but we're now at the stage where, if things don't change and we don't see an improvement in private jobs coming in or a massive improvement in funding coming in, then Depher may have to shut permanently."

During the pandemic, Depher providing PPE to nursing homes and the NHS, setting up a food bank and organising surprise birthday parties for children whose parents had been furloughed or laid off.

Mr Anderson said he had not taken a salary since the start of the first lockdown last year.

Mr Anderson says the company has helped as many as 17,000 people and employs around 10 staff - but has already had to let one full-time apprentice go.

"We've already started the redundancies and I don't want to do any more," Mr Anderson said.

In an attempt to secure funding, Mr Anderson has written to local MPs, the Prime Minister and even the Queen but has so far had no success.

He said: "Going forward we can't rely on the public any more, because the biggest hit person in this country in the long term because of Covid is the public."

He fears he may not be able to continue past December, leaving such customers vulnerable throughout the winter, saying: "It would mean a lot more people suffering."

To donate, head to gofundme.com/f/elderly-and-vulnerable-free-plumbing-heating