A man who was homeless for two years is raising £250,000 to build a 24/7 community hub aimed at getting people off the streets and teaching them life skills such as cooking, cleaning, paying bills and working. Known as "Britain's Kindest Plumber", James Anderson has helped hundreds of in-need strangers during the cost of living crisis by fixing their boilers free and giving out food packages.
He is now planning to expand the reach of his Community Interest Company DEPHER (Disabled and Elderly Heating Emergency Repairs) by creating the new centre in Burnley. James left his mother's home in Liverpool at the age of 18 and headed for London, only to end up living on the streets between the capital city and Bristol for two years.
"It was a terrible experience. I got assaulted, spat at, beaten up and nearly raped. I would not wish anything like that to happen to anyone," he told the Mirror.
"I got my second chance when two strangers offered to help me. A couple called Beryl and Gordon, who lived near Chipping Sodbury, converted their garage and got me a job in logistics.
"I lived with them for eight months. I was earning £300 a week packing palettes to go to supermarkets and I thought I was the king of England."
James moved back up North to live with his mother in his 20s and subsequently met his wife Barbara in a pub. The couple had a son called William, who died from a heart defect when he was only 16 weeks old in 2013.
Having made a promise to honour his baby boy's memory by becoming a "better man", James founded DEPHER to fit boilers and undertake plumbing repairs to those most vulnerable. Starting out in the tight-knit Lancashire town of Burnley, the DEPHER's work and good will quickly spread across the nation with the help of dozens of subcontractors and thousands of volunteers.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, James has helped many on the brink of bankruptcy with food parcels, gas and electricity top-ups, funeral costs and bailiff charges. He has also set up food banks, provided the NHS and nursing homes with PPE and organised parties for children of parents who had lost their jobs or been furloughed.
DEPHER, which largely relies on donations including £65,000 from actor Hugh Grant and his wife Anna Eberstein, has now given £1.2million in support to deprived Brits with James' efforts acknowledged when he won a Pride of Manchester Special Recognition Award last year. A dad to Annalise, 17, and Thomas, 15, and stepdad to Josh, 23, James only takes a salary of £168 a week because he says "that's all I need to live off" and his next venture is to create the hub after buying and converting a large, self-contained retail outlet.
When built, it will have enough room to provide accommodation for 10 homeless people in three-month stints, as well as a training facility. There will also be a charity shop on site to help raise funds and offices available for rent.
James has raised £300,000 towards the project so far and added: "We have tradesmen who will work free of charge but we still need £250,000 to buy it and do it up. It would mean a new life for so many people.
"We wouldn't just give them a bed, but support them with opportunities, education and a chance at qualifications. The training centre would teach them the basics of home economics including how to cook, clean, pay bills and DIY maintenance. It's a stepping stone for a new life."
If you'd like to support James' 24/7 homeless hub, you can donate via his fundraising page
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