Nik Smith, 35 of NS Services based in Cranbrook, Exeter UK has been window cleaning for the past three years with the majority of his work in Cranbrook which is a new build town area. Nik’s business also covers most of East Devon and Exeter and is 75% residential.
This Christmas Nik decided to rally window cleaners to a fantastic gesture of love and goodwill towards a man he has never had a full conversation with!
Nik moved into a new build site with his wife Kate. It wasn’t until they both noticed the red brick dust that blew over from the remaining building site that would cover the completed houses that Nik and Kate realised no window cleaner was operating in the area.
Nik decided to become a window cleaner. His wife went to B&Q, he tells Window Cleaning Magazine with a big smile, and she brought back a non commercial squeegee set. That was three years ago, today he hires a guy called Jamie who works the doors 5 nights a week and works with NS Services during the day. Nik operates out of a huge ex-BT truck so big that it can literally carry everything you could imagine for window cleaning and pressure washing. It is like a business premises on wheels!! Although Nik’s business is mostly residential he does carry out some commercial work such as high street store fronts.
This one store in Newton Abbot, Nik cleans the windows on a two weekly schedule. Every morning the same homeless guy sits in the doorway minding his own business reading books. He has never seen him drunk or on drugs and he has always been polite and moved so that Nik could complete the cleaning of the glass in the doorway. The homeless man is called David.
This Christmas, Nik decided to do something really nice for this homeless guy. He put out an appeal through Social Networks requesting food, toiletries, warm clothes, blankets, sleeping bags in fact anything he felt this man could use. As always, window cleaners from a far gave generously.
Picture ^^^ Nik (Left) Lee reporting for WCM (Right)
Window Cleaning Magazine was there to witness how overwhelmed David was by the festive greetings and well wishing as he was surrounded not just by survival provisions like food, warm hats, gloves and sleeping bags, but Christmas presents too that included Christmas cards, a Christmas Cracker, Christmas sweets and £300 in cash raised by the window cleaning community.
What a lovely Christmas Eve story we leave you. Nik and Kate would like to thank everyone that helped in his appeal and we all wish David the very best.
From Window Cleaning Magazine, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and please give a thought and pray to those that are less fortunate, those that do not sit in front of a warm fire next to a Christmas tree, for those like David.
