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'Surprise' demand for women's plumbing workshop

Kelly Withers
BBC News
BBC Four women being taught basic plumbing skillsBBC
Debs van Meeuwen-Jones teaches women in a garage in Fivehead

A woman in Somerset who is offering to help others learn basic plumbing skills says she is surprised by the response so far.

Debs van Meeuwen-Jones has set up a workshop from a garage in Fivehead.

The retired plumber put a post on Nextdoor and Facebook in October.

She has now received 55 enquiries and 26 women have signed up to the paid-for sessions.

Debs van Meeuwen-Jones in her workshop
Debs van Meeuwen-Jones wants to help women solve basic plumbing problems

One of the women in the workshop, Catherine said: "We had a leak in our home six months ago and I wanted to learn how to look after a house."

Ms van Meeuwen-Jones, 62, says she wanted to "empower people" to help women gain confidence by teaching them skills such as replacing taps and washers.

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