Alan Henning was a local hero who lost his life while taking food to children and families in Syria. The day before Christmas in 2013, Mr Henning, 47, was kidnapped and later beheaded by so-called Islamic State after being snatched when crossing the border from Turkey into Syria with an aid convoy.
The father-of-two, a former taxi driver from Eccles, had volunteered to work in Syria with a UK-based charity. Now his home city has posthumously awarded him the ultimate accolade.
Salford City Council today honoured him with Freedom of the City. Mr Henning died in October 2014 and the council pledged to commemorate his memory when the family felt the time was right.
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A framed citation says it is "in recognition of his selfless relief work to help vulnerable people suffering in Syria. His compassion and kindness will always be remembered."
Alan was a much loved and respected taxi driver, known as Gadget or Gadge by his friends as he was brilliant at fixing things. He was deeply moved by the plight of innocent people in Syria during the brutal war and began to raise funds to help relieve their suffering with aid.
He took the brave decision to travel to Syria with an overwhelming urge to help the people, putting aside his own fears, to provide not only humanitarian aid but comfort and support to help and support the children of Syria.
The Ceremonial Mayor of Salford, Councillor Ann-Marie Humphreys, said: “It is right that the city provides its highest of honours to Alan Henning who reached out to help people in need from all backgrounds. It is also fitting that we constantly remember Alan’s kindness and his humanity and what his life meant.
“We all should be grateful for people like Alan who put others before themselves. The Freedom of the City is highest honour the city council can give to an individual and Alan certainly fits that category. The Henning family accepted the Freedom of the City in honour of Alan and we will make sure that he is never forgotten. Thank you for all you did Alan.”
Last year, Mr Henning's daughter, Lucy, came face to face with a member of the so-called Islamic State terror cell known as The Beatles as he was jailed for life over his role in the murder of US hostages in Syria.
She attended court to see Alexanda Amon Kotey, 38, originally from Paddington, London, be sentenced at Alexandria District Court, Virginia, while members of his victims’ families watched on. He pleaded guilty to a host of charges relating to US victims only, although the families of other murdered hostages, including British humanitarians David Haines and Mr Henning, read shocking impact statements to the court.
Lucy told the US court she discovered a picture of her father’s headless body while scrolling on Instagram. “He wasn’t a religious man or into politics, he was just my dad,” she said.
A permanent memorial garden to Alan was officially opened in Eccles in 2016 as a place where people can reflect and remember him. A street in Salford was also named after him in 2019 after more than 2,000 people signed a petition calling for a permanent tribute to him.
The garden features a circular flower bed, planted with yellow flowers and plants, wooden sleepers painted yellow and two granite boulders bearing memorial plaques. The colour yellow was chosen to show the overwhelming love, support and remembrance to Mr Henning and his family that emerged in and around the communities of Eccles and Salford. Local businesses donated the materials to make the garden.
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