A local man has been recognised for his hard work after a busy year helping households across the North West with the jobs that keep homes running, from quick fixes to larger improvement projects.

Lewis Foat, 35, from Lathom, has been named one of Airtasker’s Top Taskers for 2025 following his first year taking on regular work in people’s homes. A qualified plumber, he’s built a reputation for being able to handle a wide mix of tasks, including assembling furniture, mounting TVs, and more involved projects like building media walls, installing media systems and creating custom home gym spaces.

He now completes around 10 to 13 jobs a week and says the platform has become a major part of his working life, accounting for roughly 75% of his overall income. Lewis typically earns between £2,000 and £3,000 a month, and some of his most notable projects have involved bespoke media wall designs featuring fireplaces and decorative finishes tailored to each home. For him, the appeal is in the variety and the chance to set his own pace.

“No two weeks are ever the same,” he said. “It fits in perfectly with my on-the-go lifestyle. I think it’s great for anyone looking for flexibility.”

Rather than following a traditional monthly routine, he works back-to-back for most of the month and keeps the final week free to travel abroad and visit family overseas, something he says would be much harder to manage in a standard full-time role.

Airtasker Founder and CEO Tim Fung commented, “The annual Top Tasker Awards celebrate the people who keep communities moving, the skilled locals who show up, solve problems and earn trust job after job. This year’s winners are a brilliant snapshot of what’s happening across the UK: people turning practical skills into real, reliable income, whether it’s alongside another role or as a full-time living.

We’ve seen continued momentum in cities like Manchester and Birmingham, where more customers are getting help faster and more Taskers are building repeat work. From assembling furniture and installing home set-ups to carpentry, gardening and creative art commissions, these Taskers are raising the bar for quality and customer service, and proving flexible work can be a serious career.”

Lewis’s success on the platform is one example of how flexible, skills-based jobs can bolster a trade and create steadier earnings. It also speaks to a broader shift: more people want work that fits around their lives, whether that’s evenings and weekends or a move into self-employment.