A Burnley plumber known for providing free services to the elderly and vulnerable in his community has been forced to put his help on hold.
James Anderson, the owner of DEPHER – a company providing emergency plumbing and heating services to the elderly, disabled, and vulnerable for free of charge – has this week been announced the company is to suspend its services for the time being.
James has spoken out about the reason he’s been forced into making this disappointing decision.
DEPHER was originally set up back in 2017 by the Burnley native after his son sadly died at just 16-weeks-old, and he made promise to him that he would “be a better man” – and while his original aim was to provide free heating and plumbing services to those in need, the company has since gone from strength to strength, and James and the team lend a hand with almost anything.
Staff get around 400 emails every day from people asking for help, and in almost six years since being set up, the company has been able to assist more than half a million people across Lancashire, the North West, and the rest of the country.
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Burnley plumber who helps elderly and vulnerable for free forced to suspend services over costs / Credit: The Manc Group
But while the services are provided for free to those in need, it of course comes at a cost for James and the DEPHER team.
And it’s the rising cost of living crisis that has proved to be the current roadblock for the company.
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James says that a “massive increase in demand” for their services as households nationwide grapple with finances has meant the company is running out of money each week.
Addressing the need to suspend services, James explained in a statement: “DEPHER will unfortunately have to postpone all requests for help with food, gas, and electricity. Due to a massive increase in demand, we are running out of funds very quickly every week.
“We will restart the initiative as soon as we find more support [but] we need to balance the outgoings for people who need our plumbing, heating boilers, and funeral support.
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“We cannot use everything on just food, gas, and electricity. We have a responsibility to a wide range of people around the UK.
As a community interest company, DEPHER relies largely on donations – with legendary actor Hugh Grant grabbing headlines for being a regular donor – which is why James is now appealing to the public for financial support as he “works hard to reinstall the initiative” as soon as possible.
Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s time to say a big hello, as rare bat-eared foxes have now arrived at Chester Zoo.
The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, and they are the first mammals of their kind to come to Chester Zoo in more than 30 years.
First images show the pair exploring their home in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – which officially opened to the public back in March, and is the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.
The adorable – but rather unique-looking – bat-eared fox is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is native to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
They live for around 13 years on average, and their characteristically large ears help regulate their body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to prey like detect insects moving underground.
The species faces increasing threats in the wild, largely due to the loss of their habitat caused by agriculture, human encroachment, and hunting.
This is why Chester Zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife.
Its teams’ have been supporting everything from the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking in recent years.
Bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in 30 years / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus,” commented David White, who is the Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme, helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.
Emily Sergeant -
16th February 2023 
