Helping hands across the community

Gas engineers across the nation are stepping up to help their local communities as the cost-of-living crisis bites. Registered Gas Engineer talks to some of those going above and beyond to help those in need – and how you can get involved.

Warriors of Warmth

Established in 2019, the Warriors of Warmth is a charity campaign spearheaded by Nottingham gas engineer Jonathon Hallam. It’s a group of plumbers and gas engineers who support charities in need by providing free heating and plumbing goods and services, as well as offering energy saving advice. Charities can contact them if they need new boilers, radiators or system upgrades, for example, or if they are looking for help to reduce their running costs.

Jonathon says: “Most charities have seen massive funding and revenue cuts because people’s disposable income has fallen, so being able to come to us for free advice can really help them if they’re experiencing problems with their heating system.

“Most of the trustees I speak to are grateful for the advice we can give, and many have told me of the financial pressures they are currently under, stating that they might not survive the next six months.”

Each year, the Warriors of Warmth help charities such as food banks and homeless shelters with free heating products and labour, with every installation also becoming a potential teaching opportunity for younger gas engineers to gain valuable work experience.

Jonathon created the charity after many years working with foodbanks and being a street pastor, and connects with engineers who help carry out this work via Twitter at @warmthwarriors

He says: “Most weeks I offer technical support, efficiency advice and learning materials to charities and other engineers, backed by the numerous manufacturers who have agreed to support our cause. The sponsors are absolutely incredible, understanding and generous – each time they donate I’m almost in tears.”

Manufacturers currently supporting Warriors of Warmth include Alpha Heating Innovation, Stelrad, EPH, Lawton Tubes, Fernox, Condense Pro, JG Speedfit, Vitow and Triton, as well as gas engineer Andy Cam.

If you can help support Warriors of Warmth with labour, spare tools for apprentices, or if you know of a charity that is struggling, contact them via social media or go to warriorsofwarmth.co.uk for more information.

DEPHER DEPHER (Disabled & Elderly Plumbing & Heating Emergency Repairs) was set up in 2017 to help older people and those with disabilities who were struggling to pay for heating and boiler repairs.

Created by James Anderson from Burnley, Lancashire, DEPHER has helped tens of thousands of people by carrying out repairs and replacing broken heating systems free of charge.

DEPHER first hit the headlines after a grateful family member posted their story on social media, prompting worldwide donations to help the not-forprofit initiative support even more people. The initiative is funded entirely through these donations and crowdfunding, with heating manufacturers also donating boilers and other products.

James’s work has caught the attention of Hollywood stars, with actor Hugh Grant and his wife, TV producer Anna Eberstein, donating £10,000 in September 2022, on top of previous donations the actor has made.

During the Covid pandemic James expanded the support DEPHER offered even further, donating PPE to the NHS and setting up permanent food banks, distributing parcels to elderly people, those with disabilities, low-income families, NHS staff and key workers. It also provided top-ups of electricity and gas to struggling families.

More recently, DEPHER has been taking calls from people asking for help with other debts and structural issues such as leaking roofs. The organisation now has 12 members of staff and has been helping people nationwide by enlisting the support of local tradespeople to carry out work, and then paying the bill on behalf of the customer.

Now James wants to expand DEPHER’s reach even further, and has created a GoFundMe to fundraise and turn DEPHER into a national initiative, with the goal of having a DEPHER engineer in every part of the UK.

James says he wants to have a team of emergency staff, including gas engineers, plumbers, handypersons and volunteers, creating a direct workforce that will be employed by DEPHER to deliver potentially life-saving services to anyone in need in the UK.

James says: “We have proven over the past six years that DEPHER can and does work. We are robust and know 100 per cent that this can be achieved. Supporting us will give the people of this country a voice again, a roar of hope and community. With your help we can make DEPHER the next emergency service: a service that everyone can rely on for ever.”

You can read more about DEPHER’s latest fundraising campaign at: www.gofundme. com/f/depher-to-be-in-everytown-city-of-the-uk www.depher.com

Band of Builders

When Lincolnshire landscaper Addam Smith found out that his friend Keith Ellick had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wanted to do something to make his life a little bit easier. Band of Builders was born in 2016, initially as a plan to landscape Keith’s garden. But the idea won the support of fellow tradespeople and became a full-scale renovation of the house, carried out by volunteers from across the country.

Now Band of Builders completes practical projects of all sizes to help members of the UK construction industry who are battling illness or injury. For each project, volunteers carry out renovations or repairs that make a real difference to their fellow tradespeople’s lives.

In 2022, the charity carried out its 27th project, taking the total cost of donated labour and materials to more than £1 million, and it’s hoping to carry out up to 12 projects this year.

Band of Builders’ initiative, The Big Brew, encourages tradespeople to come together over a brew to support one another and remove the taboo around mental health in the construction sector. It is focused on improving awareness of mental health issues and routes to support for members of the construction industry, particularly those who are self-employed and in small and medium-sized businesses.

Contractors and their families can text BOB to 85258 at any time to get mental health support.

Peter Cape, the Big Brew lead at Band of Builders, says: “Our text service team are trained to respond to the full spectrum of mental health issues, including abuse, addiction, anger issues, anxiety, bereavement, bullying, depression, loneliness, personality disorders, relationship issues, self- harm, trauma, work-related stress and even suicidal thoughts.”

The sole aim of the Big Brew, Peter adds, has been to make it as easy as possible for tradespeople and contractors to take that first step and reach out. Last year’s campaign raised enough money to fund a counselling service specifically for the construction industry for two years.

Peter adds: “The new text service has been a welcome addition to the [existing] counselling service – which means we can offer different routes by which tradespeople can get much needed help and support.” bandofbuilders.org

Rainy Day Trust

The Rainy Day Trust (RDT) helps people who have worked in the home improvement and enhancement industries who have fallen on hard times. RDT supports professional tradespeople such as gas engineers, plumbers and electricians, as well as their apprentices and trainees. It also helps people who have worked in manufacture, wholesale, retail and distribution in the home improvement and enhancement industries, such as builders’ merchants, DIY and hardware stores. To be eligible for support, people need to have a low income, less than £10,000 in savings, and have carried out one year’s minimum continuous service at an eligible business or as a sole trader.

Support can involve financial help with essential utility bills or household maintenance, funding for mobility equipment and installations, or telephone counselling and legal advice. RDT can help people access welfare benefits, as well as learn new skills and access training to help further their career. ■ www.rainydaytrust.org.uk