Our February Community Hero, in partnership with Fosters Solicitors, is seven-year-old Canary fan Henry Webb from Wymondham, who has been spending his free time raising money for a local care home.
He spent many of his evenings throughout November and December reading books to residents of Windmill House via Zoom.
He told us, “If I’m not reading, I’m doing something probably to do with football!”
When Henry’s mum, Becky, started a new job at the care home in November, he struggled to understand why she was away so much, whilst Becky’s care home was struggling to find ways to put on fundraising events.
These would usually help to update Windmill House’s sensory equipment and organise wellbeing activities. However, with COVID restrictions tight at the care home and no outsiders given access to the building, their options were limited.
The young Canary came up with the idea of ‘Bedtime stories with Henry’, so the pair set up a Facebook page along with a GoFundMe page for people to sponsor him and donate to the care home.
“I was reading more younger books as a lot of other people were watching, not just the care home.”
The Facebook page eventually expanded to 154 members who would tune in every night to listen and the video would then be shared to the Wymondham and Wicklewood Facebook pages, meaning Henry would be reading to around 500 people every night.
Becky referred to him as “a little local celebrity!”
The original fundraising target was £500, but with the help of the local community and with wording spreading fast about his good work, the final total was £1,000.
Becky told us, “We didn’t expect it to take off as much as it did. Every single penny has gone to the care home for their sensory development, something quite important with dementia patients.
“All of those things that can be updated is because of what he’s achieved on his own. I sat behind the camera and pressed record; I didn’t do anything else. He did it all.”
Henry and his family are here today – we hope you enjoy the game!