PM’s thanks to extraordinary teen fundraiser
ATEENAGE charity fundraiser has received a special thank you for his dedication from the country’s most powerful man.
Thirteen-year-old Harry Norton has helped raise more than £60,000 for the Seashell Trust, which cares for children with severe mental and physical disabilities.
As a result he and mum Angela were invited to Downing Street to meet Prime Minister David Cameron.
Harry, who is a student at The King’s School, said: “I was very nervous when we were all invited down to Downing Street but I need not have been.
“Mr and Mrs Cameron were very genuine, everyday people, who put us all at our ease and wanted to know about us and our special problems.
“It was a great day for all the family and we all feel very honoured.”
Harry’s fundraising activities were prompted by his two brothers, Reims, 14, and Cayman, seven, who both have severe complex drug resistant epilepsy, severe learning difficulties and autism.
Harry has dedicated much of his time to fundraising activities, public speaking engagements and the auction of his wonderful watercolour paintings, which earned Harry The Seashell Trust’s nomination to attend the Downing Street party.
Harry hit the headlines in the Macclesfield Express in 2013 when he saved his younger brother’s life by giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when Cayman had a fit.
He is now planning to add to the £60,000 he helped raise with the support of The King’s School and aims to hit the six figure mark.
He added: “My next goal is to complete a sponsored triathlon with Cayman, pushing him in his wheelchair, swimming alongside and cycling with him on a specially adapted bike.”
Mum Angela, who joined Harry at 10 Downing Street, said: “I spoke to Samantha Cameron for a good ten minutes and I have to say I felt we shared a genuine bond.
“She was very interested in how we cared for Cayman and Reims and explained that her son Ivan had epilepsy as part of his cerebral palsy.
“She said she had found it very difficult to care for one child with a severe disability, let alone two.”
Angela added: “As a single mum I am just so glad that I have a man of the house to look after us all. He’s my Mr Wonderful.”
Ian Robertson, principal of King’s Boys Division, said: “We have been immensely impressed by Harry; his maturity, intelligence and sensitivity towards others which is clearly borne from his very special family circumstances, and we very much want to make our own contribution by nominat- ing the Seashell Trust as one of our special charities.
“Harry has spoken at a number of our assemblies about his experiences growing up alongside Cayman and Reims, his fundraising and his hopes for the future and is seen by pupils and staff alike as very much a role model.”