Music video will help Heysham boy help others

Emma Proctor plays the tea lady in a music video filmed to support Heysham boy Rory Holmes in his fundraising.

Volunteers gave up their day to make a short film to help 12-year-old Heysham boy Rory Holmes.

Rory, who has cerebral palsy, raised £16,000 this year for a life-changing operation through an online campaign called ‘Rory’s Riff Challenge’.

Now the Morecambe Road School pupil has launched another fundraising drive to help other children in a similar position.

The video, filmed at Smokey O’Connors pub in Morecambe on Friday, will help draw attention to Rory’s campaign.

It was the brainchild of three Morecambe men – filmmaker Mick Kirk, music producer Neil Gowland and singer, DJ and photographer Mike Jackson.

“We try to do a charity music video each year, usually at Christmas, and this year we were trying to decide which charity to attach it to,” said Mick.

“Rory did an amazing job in raising his own funds with Rory’s Riff Challenge. Now Rory’s decided to continue the fundraising for other children with the same condition as himself. He needs a bit of a lift to get it going so we thought it’s perfect for the video.

Mike Jackson with his backing singers Sophie Butler and Amy Lawton at the charity music video shoot in Morecambe.

“Rory will have a cameo in there too. It will be a short comedy film.

“Once we’ve finished we’ll put it out there, push it and market it, raise the profile for Rory and get as many people to his GoFundMe page and donate as much money as they can to help others.”

Also appearing in the video will be Rory’s dad Jim Holmes, singer Stuart Michaels, Sophie Butler, Amy Lawton, Matt Peel, Tracey Hosker, Steven Graham, Nicola Crabtree, Mark Slinger and Emma Proctor who causes a stir as the tea lady!

Mick’s son Owen Kirk has also helped with editing.

Nicola Crabtree and Tracey Hosker at the charity music video shoot at Smokey O'Connors in Morecambe.

The video is due to be released in four-to-six weeks’ time.

Rory’s Rhizotomy Riff Challenge saw musicians from Morecambe and Lancaster, and as far away as America, record their favourite music riff and post it to social media.

The campaign raised more than £16,000 for Rory to have the operation to help his legs feel more relaxed and strengthen his upper body.