Actor Hugh Grant has donated £10K to Britain’s kindest plumber – whose charity provides free plumbing and heating for the elderly during the winter.
Stunned James Anderson, 54, is aiming to raise £70,000 in a bid to offer his expert services needy households over the chilly Christmas season.
He has been running Depher (Disabled and Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Repair) as a not-for-profit plumbing company in Burnley, Lancs., since 2017.
A £10,000 donation from a ”HUGH GRANT’ has now appeared on his fundraising page – and confirmed as the actor by gofundme.
James said: “I didn’t believe it was him. It’s a shock but it’s wonderful.
“That’s 10 boilers for people with cancer. Ten boilers for people who are dying.
“A donation off someone like Hugh is not just about the money, it’s about awareness – sharing and letting people know, showing the public and government the reality of what is going on.”
Since its creation in, his business has helped more than 19,000 families.
James hit the headlines in 2019 after giving a 91-year-old woman a bill for £0 for fixing her boiler.
He then raised a whopping £80,000 to help others and now James is looking to do it again, as experts fear a cold winter could cause covid and flu chaos.
At one point James was close to going out of business, after spending more than he could afford on parts to help vulnerable and elderly people.
The kind-hearted businessman has even provided expensive boilers free of charge.
James’ plumbers give their labour for free and receive £30 through the scheme to cover their expenses.
If any additional paid work comes as a result, 2% of the fee goes to Depher and is reinvested in the business.
James said mounting pressures surrounding the charity work almost led him to take his life last year.
But he added: “It was worth the pain, it was worth the anger and tears to get to where we are now.
“To see how many people we’ve helped, smiles we’ve seen and lives we have saved, it’s really humbling for me to know that we’ve done that.”
Visit www.gofundme.com/f/elderly-and-vulnerable-free-plumbing-heating to donate.
