Lee, from our Dundee branch, has always been a huge fan of Harry Potter and for years it had been his dream to go to London and visit the Harry Potter studios. This of course would be an expensive trip so in 2021 his support team helped Lee to fundraise. Lee helped sell football cards and assisted his support team in finding and sorting items for a car boot sale. The support team went above and beyond to help with the fundraising and one of them even knitted a hedgehog to raise money with a "guess the birthday" fundraiser!

With all the money being raised Lee began to get more and more excited that his dream was going to become a reality.

To make things even better, in November, Lee was nominated for one of Cornerstone’s Mary Williamson Awards. These awards recognise personal achievements and Lee had achieved a lot in 2021.

He joined a local football team as goalkeeper and played during the team's football tournament which really increased Lee's confidence. Lockdown had significantly impacted Lee, so his support workers were particularly delighted to see him being part of a team and looking forward to playing a sport he loves with his friends every week.

For his achievement, Lee was named a runner-up in the awards. "I got a big surprise when I came second in the Mary Williamson Achievement Award for Dundee. I have never won anything like that before. I am really enjoying my football and enjoy going to training and the tournaments."

The runners-up were all given £100 and Lee wanted to save it for London, not realising that a few weeks later he would get a very special surprise!

In November 2021, Santa delivered a very magical gift to Lee, tickets to London (including a trip around “the big wheel”) and of course Harry Potter Studios. The video of Lee receiving the gift was posted on social media and the surprise alongside Lee’s reaction left everyone in tears of pride and joy.

Lee explained:

"I was so happy when I received a letter from Santa saying that I was going to London and going to Harry Potter studios. I had a great time in London and did lots of activities."

The Facebook video of Lee receiving his incredible gift was the most viewed video on the Dundee branch’s Facebook, amassing over 15,000 views and an outpouring of warmth, with lots of people voicing their encouragement and support.

Lee's dream trip came true in late November. He was able to go on a plane for the first time, go on the London Eye, visit Westham Stadium, Madame Tussauds, and the main event: Harry Potter studios – all thanks to Santa and a terrific fundraising effort.

His support staff are also incredibly proud of him. Team member, Janine who helps support Lee explained. "Lee has achieved so much last year, he has gained more confidence, his football coaches say that he is doing really well and  he has made loads of new friends. I am really proud of Lee and I am so happy that we were able to help Lee achieve his dream holiday.”

If you would like to read more stories from the people we support you can click here.