Young Leeds pianist Lennie Street hands £20,000 to Sheffield school after smashing £750 target

A young pianist with serious health needs who set out to raise £750 for a special school in Sheffield has handed over £20,000 after smashing his target.

Ten-year-old Lennie Street, who has cerebal palsy and the hydrocephalus – a build-up of fluid in the brain – rose to internet stardom during the coronavirus lockdowns after challenging himself to learn 100 songs picked by his supporters.

His mastery of everything from Beethoven to Justin Bieber and Stevie Wonder saw him gain the support of celebrities like Gary Barlow, Marcus Rashford and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

Having used his status to raise cash for the Paces school, Lennie, from Morley, Leeds, collected 25 times as much as his initial target.

The school said the money would go towards building a new centre to allow more children with special needs, like Lennie, to be taught life-changing skills, such as sitting, standing, walking, speaking, communication and self-care.

Julie Booth, head of fundraising and communications at Paces, said: "Lennie is an absolute superstar and we cannot thank him enough for his incredible fundraising.

"To set out to raise £750 and end up raising over £20,000 is unbelievable, and the impact that money will have is huge.

"His incredible fundraising efforts will help so many young people from across Yorkshire to have the life-changing opportunity to experience conductive education in a state-of-the-art environment at our new home for Paces School.

"Thank you so much, Lennie. We love listening to your music and we know from the amazing support you have received that we are not alone."

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