A young blind singer from Walthamstow is aiming to raise £3,000 for a music therapy charity and the cancer hospital where he was treated as a baby.

Last summer, at the Nordoff Robbins music therapy charity Silver Clef awards Samih El Sanhourim, who lost both eyes to cancer as a baby, was given a guitar signed by Ed Sheeran gave with the words ‘’Samih, lots of love, play this guitar-Ed Sheeran’’.

At the beginning of the lockdown in March when the GCSEs were cancelled the16-year-old, was elated that there would be no exams. But, as lockdown continued he felt a gaping hole in the absence of school and school work.

“He was beginning to feel down and I was concerned for his mental health,” his mum Taghreed said. One morning Samih began to strum his guitar and had the idea to set himself the challenge of learning to play at least one Ed Sheeran song for a good cause.

“It feels good to wake up in the morning and have a goal,” Samih said.

The fundraising challenge has given his days purpose and structure.

Samih has raised 70 per cent of his fundraising target for music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.

His fundraiser on just giving has also come to the notice of Ed Sheeran’s team with Ed’s manager, Stuart Camp donating £500 to his campaign !

On July 3, the anniversary of the Nordoff Robbins Silver Clef Awards Samih will livestream himself playing and singing an Ed Sheeran song on his Instagram

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/taghreed-elsanhouri