Memories of Jeff Henry
27th February 1960 – 28th July 2023
I am one of many who were privileged to have known Jeff Henry as a friend, a fellow trustee of Friends of Evington and deeply committed environmental champion. His fellow Sedgebrook Community Garden group members referred to him as ‘quietly inspirational’ and their thoughts and memories of him and his recent projects are recorded below:
“Jeff was a lovely man who had time for everyone. He came across as quiet, intelligent, calm and friendly. Jeff had a vision for the Sedgebrook Road Open Space, which with typical hard work, inspiration and clarity of purpose, he managed to achieve with the help of his wife, Suzanne, and a small band of local volunteers and some funding from the Friends of Evington’s ‘People and Pollinators’ grant from the ‘Awards for All’ Lottery Fund.
Jeff’s vision was to improve the appearance and usage of the park in a variety of ways. These included: digging and planting up flower beds to surround a picnic table and bench, which it is hoped will soon be installed; creating a wild flower area; planting a variety of native woodland and hedgerow flowers and trees in the wooded areas and mowing paths through the grass in order to encourage activity and exercise. Jeff also did a lot of work behind the scenes, including leafleting local households; setting up the Little Green Shoots website, with articles and advice about creating nature-friendly areas in our gardens; negotiating with representatives of the City Council and others and bringing together volunteers from local households to help with the practical work involved. Many people from this area and beyond have commented favourably on the ‘Community Garden’ and the improvements made under Jeff’s vision and inspiration. The garden has also garnered a Level 5 “Outstanding” Award under the Britain in Bloom, East Midlands ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood Scheme’, 2022 and posthumously in 2023: a fitting tribute to an exceptionally public-spirited, energetic and creative person.”
Jeff and Suzanne had been actively involved with the Catholic community based at Holy Cross Priory in the centre of Leicester since their student days in the early 1980s and so it was fitting that his requiem mass should be held there on 17th August. It was attended by some of the many who knew Jeff as a fellow parishioner, science teacher in a local school, volunteer in a range of community projects, supportive neighbour and devoted husband and father of three. The burial followed at Scraptoft Natural Burial Ground, a setting Jeff would undoubtedly appreciate with its wildflower meadows and woodlands, having worked so hard to conserve and develop such areas in his own neighbourhood. Jeff was a song writer, musician and a keen real ale enthusiast, so it was fitting that he was given a lively send off by fellow band members at the Cow and Plough pub well into the evening.
Jeff was truly an inspiration to all who met him and led by example, directing his energies in real and practical ways for the benefit of Evington residents and the wider community, encouraging others to find ways of enriching our environment and addressing ecological issues which affect us all. I urge readers to continue his work in whatever ways you can “To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment in the Evington suburb of Leicester and the surrounding area.” (Constitution of Friends of Evington). You can read all of Jeff’s articles in the Evington Echo here: https://evingtonecho.uk/remembering-jeff-henry-through-evington-echo-arti
From the late Paul Archdeacon.
