About Henry Nowak

This Is Henry. 💙

Before we tell you about the Foundation created in his memory, we want you to get to know the young man who inspired it.

Henry Nowak was just 18 years old, with his whole life ahead of him. He was a much-loved son, brother, grandson and friend. A young man who loved football, basketball and Arsenal, who had recently started university and was beginning to find his own way in the world.

But there was something about Henry that made him particularly special.

Henry noticed people. If someone was sitting alone, Henry would sit with them. If someone felt left out, he would make sure they were included. He had a natural warmth about him, a way of making people feel comfortable, welcome and accepted, just as they were. He didn’t need a reason to show someone kindness. It was simply who he was.

Henry was the person who would sit with someone when nobody else would. And that tells you so much about the young man he was.

Growing Up and Finding His Way

Henry grew up in Chafford Hundred, Essex, surrounded by the love of his family and friends. One of four siblings, he shared an especially close bond with his older sister, Olivia.

Family was at the heart of Henry’s world. He loved spending time with those closest to him, and the friendships and relationships he built throughout his life meant so much.

Henry attended Harris Academy Chafford Hundred, where he spent his school years growing, learning and forming friendships before taking the exciting next step towards adulthood.

Like so many young people his age, Henry had dreams, ambitions and plans for his future. But even from a young age, there were little things about Henry that made him wonderfully unique.

One of those things was how sensible he was with money. For his mum, Lucy, Henry’s eventual decision to study Accounting and Finance came as no surprise.

Even as a little boy, Henry understood the importance of saving. He thought carefully before spending and was never one to waste a penny. It was something Lucy would often smile about.

While other parents might worry about how their children would manage their money as they grew older, Lucy never had that concern with Henry. She always knew he would be sensible and look after himself.

Looking back, perhaps it was one of the earliest signs of the path Henry would eventually choose.

It’s often these little things, the habits, the conversations and the everyday memories, that tell us so much about the people we love. And they are the things that make Henry’s story so personal.

A New Chapter at University

In September 2025, Henry began an exciting new chapter at the University of Southampton, studying Accounting and Finance.

At just 18 years old, he was beginning to experience the independence that comes with leaving home, meeting new people and building a life of his own. There was so much for him to look forward to.

Henry was enjoying university life, making new friends and embracing the opportunities that came his way.

Sport had always been an important part of his life. A devoted Arsenal supporter, Henry loved football and became involved in two university football teams. He also enjoyed basketball and the friendships and sense of belonging that came with being part of a team.

Alongside his studies and sporting commitments, Henry worked part-time at Morrisons in Southampton.

He was finding his feet, balancing his responsibilities and enjoying everything that came with this new stage of his life. He was doing all the things an 18-year-old should be doing: making friends, discovering new places, enjoying his independence, learning about himself and beginning to imagine what his future might look like.

There were careers to pursue, places to explore, friendships to strengthen and countless memories still waiting to be made.

Henry had his whole life ahead of him. And his story should have been only beginning.

The Day Our World Changed Forever

On 3 December 2025, everything changed.

Henry was walking home in Southampton when he was attacked and fatally stabbed. What should have been an ordinary evening became an unimaginable tragedy.

Henry was just 18 years old. He never made it home.

In a matter of moments, a family lost their precious son and brother, friends lost someone they loved, and a young man with his whole future ahead of him was taken from the world.

There are no words that can truly describe the heartbreak of losing Henry. For those who loved him, life would never be the same again.

His absence is felt in the everyday moments. The family gatherings where he should be sitting alongside everyone else. The conversations that should still be happening. The birthdays, celebrations and milestones he should have been here to enjoy.

It is not only the memories his family holds close, but also the memories they will never have the chance to make. The future they had imagined with Henry was taken away.

And yet, through all the heartbreak, one thing remains unchanged: the enormous love his family and friends have for him.

That love does not end. It lives on in their memories, in the stories they share and in all the little things that will forever remind them of Henry.

Remembering Henry Beyond the Headlines

Henry’s death received national attention, and the circumstances surrounding his final moments have raised serious questions that his family continue to seek answers to.

The man responsible for Henry’s murder was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 21 years.

But while Henry’s death has become known to so many people, his family want the world to know something far more important.

Who Henry was when he was here.

Because before the headlines, before the investigations and before the heartbreak, there was Henry.

A son who was deeply loved. A brother who shared a special bond with his siblings. A loyal friend who noticed when someone was alone. A young man who loved Arsenal, enjoyed sport, worked hard and was excited about his future. Someone who made people feel included, valued and accepted.

There was so much more to Henry than the tragedy that took his life.

There were the ordinary, everyday moments that made him who he was. The family memories, the laughter, the conversations, the friendships, the little habits and familiar things that those closest to him will always remember.

These are the things that deserve to be celebrated. These are the things his family and friends will always treasure. And these are the things we want people to know about Henry.

Keeping Henry’s Kindness Alive

One of the most beautiful things about Henry was the way he treated other people.

He didn’t need to know someone well to show them kindness. If he saw somebody sitting alone, he would sit beside them. If someone was being left out, he would make space for them.

He had a way of making people feel that they belonged.

And perhaps that is one of the greatest things we can learn from Henry’s life: kindness doesn’t always have to be something big.

Sometimes it is simply noticing someone. Sitting beside them, including them, listening to them and making sure they know they matter.

These small acts can mean more than we ever realise. Henry showed that kindness naturally, without expecting anything in return.

It is this part of Henry’s character that has become such an important inspiration behind the Foundation created in his memory.

The Henry Nowak Foundation was born from the love his family have for him and their determination to help others experiencing unimaginable loss.

Although nothing can ever bring Henry back, his family hope that the kindness he showed throughout his life can continue to make a difference to others.

Because Henry spent his life making people feel less alone. And through the work carried out in his memory, that kindness can continue.

Forever 18. Forever Loved. Forever Henry. 💙

There are so many things Henry should still be here to experience.

Birthdays he should be celebrating. Milestones he should be reaching. Family occasions he should be part of. There should have been more university memories, more football matches, more laughter with friends and more ordinary days that nobody would have thought twice about.

There should have been so much more time. Time for Henry to grow older, follow his ambitions, discover new passions and build the future he had only just begun to imagine.

Those moments can never be replaced. But the love Henry brought into the world remains.

It lives in the hearts of his family and friends, in the memories they hold close and in the stories they will continue to share. It lives in the people who knew him, the friendships he made and the kindness he showed.

And it lives in the determination of those who love him to make sure his name and his memory are never forgotten.

As we continue to share Henry’s story, we want this to be a place where people can get to know the young man behind the headlines. A place to celebrate his life, his personality, his interests, his friendships and all the wonderful little things that made Henry, Henry.

Because although the way Henry died is part of his story, it will never define the life he lived.

Henry was here. He was loved. He mattered. And he will always matter.

His life was heartbreakingly short, but the love he brought into the world will last forever.

His name will continue to be spoken, his memories will continue to be treasured, and the love his family and friends have for him will never fade.

Forever 18. Forever loved. Forever Henry.

💙 Henry may no longer be here with us, but his light will never go out.