Charity set up by Sedgley mother in honour of her son celebrates anniversary with suitcase project
A charity set up by a Sedgley mother in honour of her son is going from strength to strength after celebrating its one-year-anniversary.
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Felicity Kennedy set up Harry's Promise in February 2024 in honour of her 19-year-old son who went to the University of Hull where he was studying to be a social worker, in line with what she said was his 'loving, kind, caring and selfless nature.'
He had started his placement when he was recovering from a cold in November 2023 and suddenly collapsed before being taken to hospital where he eventually died.
Not only did he help to save three other people by the donation of his two kidneys and his liver, but Felicity decided to set up the charity which bears his name and tries to help youngsters up to the age of 25 who might not have had the best start in life.
Recently they donated suitcases to Sandwell Children's Trust, a charity itself which helps youngsters with services from adoption, fostering and social care - they will use them to transport clothes and belongings when they move homes.
Harry's Promise is reaching out to all local authorities in the West Midlands with the suitcases and they are also working on providing railcards for 16-25 year olds. Other projects in the pipeline are to provide school equipment.
Recently Felicity took a break from the charity work to collect an award in Scunthorpe given by order of the Saint John's Cross for preservation of life around work he had done with the ambulance service on Humberside.
Felicity said: "It was wonderful to see him honoured in this way and to meet some of the nurses who cared for him while he was at Castle Hill Hospital and it meant so much to us that they remembered Harry.
"Harry devoted his life to spreading love and kindness and peace to those around him, whether growing up, with his family or with his fellow students at university where he would always go an talk to someone who might have been sitting on their own.
"He wrote a promise poem to all the children and young people he was going to support as a social worker so to launch a charity in his name and to see it grow in the first year where we are involved in a number of projects all around young people helps his family a lot.
"The charity aims to provide a range of experiences, opportunities and a supportive community where young people in foster or residential care, in the West Midlands, can thrive.
"As a result of this, we want our young people to become well-rounded individuals who recognise their potential which is exactly what Harry also wanted."
To support Harry's Promise go to Support – Harry’s Promise or visit their Facebook or Instagram page.
