Wed, 03 Sep 2025

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 'Hero' plumber's firm breached multiple fundraising rules, report finds

A year-long investigation found James Anderson's firm committed eight breaches of fundraising rules.

* Depher Community Plumbing and Heating CIC breached 8 fundraising rules, including: + Misleading information + Failure to evidence claims made by the organization + Restricted funds not being used for their intended purpose + Using images of vulnerable people without context + Referencing suicidal feelings in fundraising appeals
* The regulator deemed the use of vulnerable people's images and the mention of death or suicide alongside fundraising as "misleading" and "controversial"
* Depher CIC did not have a system in place to learn from complaints
* The organization issued multiple confusing fundraising appeal pages
* Depher was found to be in breach of the Fundraising Regulator's code despite being a small Community Interest Company (CIC) that experienced rapid growth after media exposure
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