James Anderson, 52, from Burnley, says people from all over the world have been in touch to find out how they can help (Picture: SWNS)

A kind-hearted plumber who fixes boilers free of charge for the elderly and disabled, is now hoping to extend his services across the country after receiving £80,000 in donations.

James Anderson, 52, from Burnley, risked going bankrupt, by closing his private business and re-launching it as a not-for-profit company, Depher, so he could help people.

He raises money using crowdfunding and donations to help people across Lancashire.

His work and generosity went viral after a picture of his bill for £0 sent to a 91-year-old woman with acute leukaemia was posted online.


Mr Anderson says he has been blown away from all the support he has since received from all over the world, including money to pay off his debt as well as offers of holidays and thousands of emails full of praise.



He said: ‘People are talking about doing it in America, France and Australia, and they’re all going to contact me to get advice and guidance as to how to do it in their countries.’

‘Hopefully… we can bring all communities together for one common cause across the planet, so everybody who’s elderly and disabled, not just in the UK, can benefit from something like this in society.’

James Anderson, 52, went viral after sending a bill of £0 to a 91-year-old woman with acute leukaemia (Picture: SWNS)

Mr Anderson confirmed that he had received £79,767 in donations since Monday, saying that before the fame ‘I’d have been lucky if I could pay my overdraft’.

He wishes to use the donations to extend help to more vulnerable people across the country.

He said: ‘I had to lay two of the lads off because I couldn’t afford it, then I had to go out and do the jobs myself as well as the paperwork, advertising, quotes and everything else.

‘Now I can look at bringing them back.

Mr Anderson wishes to use the donations to extend help to more vulnerable people across the country (Picture: SWNS)

‘We don’t just have to do Lancashire now. I’m going to be ringing local engineers in the wider area.

‘We’ve had companies say they’ll do all the advertising for us including a website, all free of charge. This is just the beginning of something that can be global.’

The increased visibility of Mr Anderson’s work has led to people getting in touch to find out how they can help too.

A woman who was inspired by his work, knocked on her neighbour’s door to find she had been without hot water for two years.

The bill of £0 that Mr Anderson sent to a 91-year-old woman with acute leukaemia (Picture: PA)

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The 52-year-old says he wants to help people from across the country (Picture: SWNS)

While Mr Anderson has prioritised the wellbeing of others, strangers have been in touch to help him pay off his own debt, which he racked up since making the switch to not-for-profit work.

He said: ‘A lady from London rang up and put £2,000 in my personal bank account for me to pay towards my debt, and another gentleman rang up and put £1,000 in for me.

‘That’s £3,000 off the debt, which will keep the wolves from the door until I can get some more private jobs.

‘That way I don’t have to touch the funding, which I don’t want to do.’

To find out more about Mr Anderson’s work, go to www.depher.co.uk.

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