Brentford 7-year-old Shows True Christmas Spirit

JC Connor donates a prize he was given to raise funds for his school

James ‘JC’ Connor outside his school in Brentford

December 20, 2024

A pupil at Our Lady & St John’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Brentford is being hailed as exemplifying the true spirit of Christmas after a selfless act of generosity.

Seven-year-old James ‘JC’ Connor’s parents successfully bid at a charity auction won for private VIP suite at the O2 Arena for him to see a performance of Disney on Ice. Initially, he was very tempted to keep it, but JC told his parents that he wanted to raffle it off to raise money for his school.

“We won the private suite at a charity auction aimed at raising funds for supporting care workers, and we thought JC would love to invite his friends,” said his father, Stephen Smith. “But when he told us he wanted to use it to raise money for his school, we were truly amazed.”

JC’s philanthropy began when he was elected by his class mates to become a school councillor. At his first meeting, he learned that the school needed a new climbing frame for the younger students. Inspired by this, JC decided to raise the necessary funds.

“He came home and told me that the Reception Year children needed a new climbing frame, and he was determined to raise the money for it,” said his mother, Ha Smith. “We are so proud of his initiative.”

JC decision was inspired by his mother and father who recently joined the John Caudwell’s Philanthropy Group, The Life Changers Circle. This was launched during the pandemic as a group of philanthropists and humanitarians who want to make a difference to people’s lives.

JC said, “I saw my parents helping others, and I wanted to do something special for my school too. It feels really good to help people”.

The funds raised through the raffle will directly support educational programs, school supplies, and extracurricular activities at Our Lady & St John’s (OLSJ) Primary School..

This is not the first time that young JC has looked to support his school. Last year he helped organise a group of children to participate in an opening event with Queen Camilla which ended with JC handing Camilla a posy of flowers.

JC presents flowers to The Queen

Not stopping there, JC asked his parents to create a JustGiving page to raise additional funds. To date, he has raised over £5,000 with contributions from family, friends, and the local community. When added to the monies that JC has raised through the Raffle he will have raised more than £7000 for his school.

The school’s principal, Mrs. Cunningham, said, “We are incredibly proud of James Connor for demonstrating such a powerful message about the importance of giving, especially at a time when we are reminded of how essential it is to support one another. His actions inspire us all to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.”

JC’s parents added, "The Life Changers Circle focuses on a number of children-based charities but also acts as a catalyst to inspire the next generation to make meaningful contributions to society, and so we couldn’t be prouder of our son for embodying these values.

"Seeing him choose to help others, even when it meant sacrificing something he really wanted, is a true testament to the power of giving."

John Caudwell, founder of The Life Changers Circle, praised JC’s generosity. Saying, “In these challenging times, charity is more important than ever, and JC’s selflessness is an example for us all.”

For more information or to contribute, visit this page.

Our Lady & St John’s Primary School is a Catholic faith school which is consistently ranked among the top 5% of performing schools in the UK.