Alan Henning: A man whose kindness killed him
Friends say Alan Henning was never involved in politics or talked about current affairs or religion, and was a cheerful, happy personality, always eager to help others
Alan Henning was known for his helpful kindness - a kindness that killed him.
Within an hour of crossing the border into Syria in an aid convoy, his killers from IS swooped: he was singled out, separated from the others and taken hostage.
Friends say Alan Henning was never involved in politics or talked about current affairs or religion, and was a cheerful, happy personality, always eager to help others.
Smiling for the cameras, Mr Henning, 47, filmed at the Turkish border shortly before his capture, said: "It's all worthwhile when you see what is needed actually get to where it needs to go. That makes it all worthwhile.
"No sacrifice we do is nothing compared to what they are going through every day, on a daily basis."
Born at Hope Hospital in Salford, the son of lorry driver father Oliver and mother Eileen, and one of three children living in Salford, Mr Henning led an ordinary life, growing up in the Eccles area of the city where he was born.
He met his wife Barbara locally, the couple marrying at Salford register office and going on to bring up their two children, Lucy, 17, and Adam, 15.
He enjoyed going fishing and tinkering with technology - earning him the nickname from friends and family of Inspector Gadget - or Gadget for short, the clumsy cartoon character.
For more than a decade he had worked as a taxi driver until, around two years ago, he became involved in helping the Syria aid effort.
He used a garage in Swinton, Salford and an upstairs office there was hired by Kasim Jameel, who ran a firm hiring cars to use as taxis and was involved in humanitarian aid for Syria.
Mr Henning hired a car from Mr Jameel for his job and the two became friends.
True to his nature he wanted to help out with the aid effort, where a convoy of ambulances, filled with medical and other supplies were driven to the Turkish border with Syria.
Mr Henning loaded the ambulances up and agreed to be a driver on his first trip in 2012.
A friend said he saw it at first almost as a "road trip" or "adventure" - and was only away two weeks. The ambulances dropped off at the border, the aid volunteers would then return to the UK.
But on a second trip Mr Henning crossed the border to see for himself conditions in war-torn Syria, a family friend said.
It was a fateful decision.
His friend said: "I think what he saw over there overwhelmed him. Orphans, kids with no mothers or fathers, desperate children. It changed him."
On his return to the UK Mr Henning's aid efforts "snow-balled" and he was "on a mission" to help - traveling again from Bolton to Syria in December last year with eight other volunteers from the town.
Orlando Napolitano, 68, runs a cafe on Bridge Street, Salford, where Mr Henning was a regular, around the corner from the garage and taxi hire firm.
Mr Napolitano said: "I have been here 22 years, and two years ago these Asian people moved in around the back and that's when all this started, this aid doing, taking stuff to Syria.
"He said he was going there to help these people who had nothing, refugees. He was happy to help.
"That last trip I said, 'Alan, I think it is a bit dangerous' He said, 'No, I have been there twice. We don't go far in, just past the border.'
"I said, 'Alan, you are going before Christmas. What about your family?'
"He said, 'That's what I love to do. When you give them goods, the kids are so happy and that's why.'
"He would come in for coffee twice a day and we would chat. He's a nice guy, happy, cheerful.
"He was missing straight away, as soon as he went to Syria. As soon as he crossed the border they snatched him."
Kasim Jameel, who said he was with Mr Henning on the final trip, did not want to talk about his capture.
Mr Jameel said: "Alan is just a taxi driver, that's all he is, just a taxi driver. Ultimately they have no reason to kill him. He could see suffering before his eyes on social media. He knew how to get involved via myself. He went there to help."
But as a citizen of one of IS's sworn enemies in the West, he became a prized hostage, his life at the mercy of Islamic fanatics.
Back home family and friends had been hoping and praying for his safe return.
Eight months into the captivity, his sister, Gill Kenyon, from Bury, posted a black and white picture of the pair together as youngsters on Twitter on August 15, his 47th birthday.
Referring to her brother by his nickname Gadget, she wrote: "Happy 47th birthday to my little bro Gadget/Alan Henning. Can't wait to have a party on your return, love you bro xx."
Martyn Shedwick, a friend who helped repair one of the donated ambulances driven to Syria, said: "He's quite an amazing guy for what he's done. An ordinary bloke, just wanting to help out, that's all it is.
"He never talked about politics or religion or anything.
"When I saw the photo of him in the orange suit, it proper hurt, it's like somebody kicked me in the heart.
"Despite all the badness in the world, there's some really good people as well and Alan is one of them - he just really wanted to help."
Source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/alan-henning-man-whose-kindness-7881257
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