2022 Winner
PRIDE OF MANCHESTER
James Anderson
Plumbing boss who has provided £1.2 million of support to vulnerable people to help them keep warm.
James founded community interest company Depher, which provides free or subsidised services to keep people warm and safe.
Since 2017, he and his team have helped pensioners and families with free boilers, plumbing and heating emergency services and bathrooms in and around his hometown, Burnley. James’ wife Babs, also often pitches in to help.
During 2020 to 2021 they supplied PPE and food to families, care homes, front line workers and emergency services.
James said: “You can walk past a house and it can look normal. But you don’t know what’s going on inside. Of the people we help, 90 per cent are living on the poverty line without telling anyone.”
James has another, personal motivation. He and Babs lost their baby son William in 2011 when he was just 16 weeks old. “I promised him, that day we turned off the machine, that I would be the man he would not grow up to be. I know that he is up there, on a cloud, kicking his feet and saying ‘nice one dad’.”
Charlie Briggs, former mayor of Burnley, says: “James is an amazing person, I wish there were more people like him around. He is not interested in medals, all he is interested in is helping the community.”