As Christine Rollins opens an invoice from a plumber, she has no idea what’s waiting for her. She had called plumber James Anderson to fix a leak in her mom’s boiler. It’s been a stressful time for the family, given that Rollins’ 91-year-old mother is dying of leukemia. But when she sees the tradesman’s bill, she erupts into tears. Fair to say, getting old is often no walk in the park.
As our bodies slow down, we find it more difficult to cope with physical ailments. Sadly, it’s not just our health at risk because as we get older, there are people in society who are willing to take advantage of our vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, some older people are more susceptible to being scammed. As they live alone, they are often more trusting and may not have anyone else to look over their finances. They may also simply be lonely and thankful to have some company, even if the person reaching out to them isn’t as nice as they appear.
An easy solution to protect older people from exploitation would be to encourage them to be suspicious of everyone. However, that simply isn’t practical. Like all of us, senior citizens sometimes have to put their trust in people, and this is especially so if they require help with something that they simply can’t manage alone. For example, it’s pretty likely that an older person will need the help of a tradesperson to carry out repairs on their properties. Given that we allow them into our homes, it would be nice to think that all workers are honest and trustworthy.
Christine Rollins needed a plumber to help her elderly mom in September 2019, and the woman was in no doubt came to find someone trustworthy. Her mother was 91 years old and receiving end-of-life care on account of her acute leukemia, so it’s fair to say that she was particularly vulnerable. That’s when someone recommended plumber James Anderson, who is from the nearby town of Burnley.
He’s a family man with five children and three grandchildren, and Rollins had heard that he often did repairs for older people in the area. In fact, Anderson is the founder of D for Community Interest Company, a non-profit that specializes in providing plumbing services for the elderly.
Standing for Disabled and Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Repair, the organization offers discounted or free plumbing services to those vulnerable members of society. And since he began the outfit in 2017, Anderson has helped over 2,300 customers. Talking about his organization with CNN in September 2019, Anderson explained, “We need to do something more to help the people who need it most. A lot of elderly and disabled people don’t like asking for assistance, and if they can’t afford something like fixing the boiler, they might not do it and get into trouble. We’re there to take that worry away.
Anderson had been inspired to create D for after being called out to a disabled customer. Another plumber had tried to fleece the man, but he decided to get a second opinion. Anderson then told the rogue trader to fix the job, or he would name and shame him in the media. And this, as you could imagine, worked a treat. But even with the issue resolved, Anderson couldn’t shake this episode from his memory.
In September 2019, the plumber told a Manchester Evening News, “It wouldn’t leave my mind what that guy had done.” Soon, the plumber took it upon himself to prevent all their vulnerable people from being ripped off. However, though Anderson’s intentions were good, transitioning into non-profit work wasn’t easy. He’s even built up personal debts as he tried to provide his low-cost services to the elderly and disabled. And yet, he remained dedicated to the worthy cause with little thought for himself.
In September 2019, Anderson told his local newspaper, the Burnley Press, “A lot of people close to me ask why are you getting yourself into debt? Why are you doing this? To me, debt is dead. I’d rather owe some money to somebody and another person be alive and happy and safe.” So, when someone recommended Anderson’s services to Christine Rollins, it seemed that she was onto a good thing.
And in her interview with a Manchester Evening News, she revealed how she had tracked the plumber down. She said, “My sister said my mom’s carer had mentioned this guy who helped elderly people, so she Googled him and found him. I called him out on the Sunday because water was pouring from a pipe, and there was a problem with a boiler at my mom’s house. I couldn’t find a stop tab, and even though it was his Sunday, Anderson had kindly agreed to come out and take a look as he was in the area.” Rollins revealed to the Manchester Evening News how Anderson had suggested he could pass by, as he said, “I was just 10 minutes away after dropping a relative off.
She continued, “I was panicking because I had no cash, and the cash machine wasn’t working, but he said not to worry.” When Anderson arrived at Rollins’ mom’s house, he carried out a temporary repair to her boiler. He then ordered a replacement part and returned to the property over the following days to fix it. Then, after the work was completed, he drafted up an invoice and emailed it over to Rollins. But Rollins couldn’t believe her eyes when she opened Anderson’s email.
She could make little sense of the invoice for the repair on her mom’s boiler and was moved to tears by it. That’s because Anderson had provided his services completely free of charge. The invoice that Anderson had sent to Rollins read, “Call out to boiler, high pressure, and two leaks. Lady’s 91 years of age, acute leukemia, end-of-life care. Amount: zero dollars.
No charge for this lady under any circumstances. Will be available 24 hours to help her and keep her as comfortable as possible. Defer CIC.” Revealing her reaction to Anderson’s invoice, Rollins told a Manchester Evening News, “I just burst into tears when I read the email from James. It was just so kind.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I rang him because I couldn’t believe my eyes and couldn’t understand what was happening.” Furthermore, Rollins said that Anderson flat out refused when she offered to repay him. She continued, “When I told him I wanted to make a donation, he just said to buy my mom some flowers. I was so warmed by his kindness.
It’s the little things. We’re going through a stressful time and have been absolutely overwhelmed by kindness.” However, while Rollins was shocked by Anderson’s kind gesture, the plumber himself thought little of it. Explaining what had happened from his perspective, he told a Manchester Evening News, “I went round on Sunday, September 8th, and it was clear that the expansion vessel in the boiler had gone.
” Explaining what happened next, Anderson continued, “I ordered the part so that I could make the repair, but for the next few days, I popped into her house every morning and sometimes in the afternoon and evening to check on the boiler so that her house would be kept warm.
Revealing Rollins’ reaction to his invoice, Anderson added, “At first, she didn’t understand what I meant when I said it’s free. She was absolutely over the moon and amazed. I told her not to worry about her mom and that way to look after her for any work that needed doing.” While many would consider Anderson’s actions as having gone above and beyond the call of duty, the plumber didn’t agree. He told a Manchester Evening News, “It’s not difficult to be nice, is it?
At the end of the day, we’re all part of the same family living on a rock in space. If we don’t look after each other, it’s a very sad place to live.” However, while Anderson was too modest to sing his own praises, Rollins had no qualms about doing it for him. Consequently, she’d posted the invoice he’d sent her on her Facebook page in September 2019 and wrote that he had been an angel dressed as a plumber. Naturally, it seemed that many people were inclined to agree.
Rollins’ Facebook post went on to receive over 30,000 reactions, propelling Anderson into the spotlight. The screenshot of the plumber’s invoice also found its way onto other social media platforms, including Twitter, where one user said that it had given them a little hope for humanity after all. But Anderson himself had no idea that the story about his generosity was going viral. In fact, he was attending his grandson’s christening and was completely oblivious to the attention he was receiving online. But then his phone started going crazy.
The plumber would later tell the Manchester Evening News, “It was just phenomenal. It skyrocketed.” Soon, Anderson’s good deeds garnered national and international attention, and he was even dubbed the world’s most generous plumber on the popular British daytime TV show, This Morning. Furthermore, Anderson was able to tell hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby all about his work with D for. In another interview with the Manchester Evening News, Anderson explained that his organization carries out repairs for free whenever it has the funding to do so.
As such, Rollins’ mom wasn’t the only person to have benefited from the plumber’s kindness. And thanks to his newfound viral fame, it seemed that Anderson was finally getting the support that he deserved. Following the attention that Anderson received, he reportedly raised nearly $106,000 to keep D for going. Moreover, he was also approached by people offering free tools and their labor up and down the country. Anderson was also treated to a free trip to London, courtesy of This Morning, as a reward for his generous deeds.
In September 2019, Anderson spoke to the Lancashire Telegraph about the encouragement he’d received. The plumber said, “It has been amazing. I’m just astonished at the amount of support I’m getting. It has made a big difference, and I did not expect it at all. I expected a few likes and shares, but not this amount.
It’s unbelievable, and I’m so thankful.”
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