The Mary Williamson Awards, created by the funds of a generous legacy donation from the late Mary Williamson, recognises the personal goals of the people we support. Mary Williamson was supported by Cornerstone for over 23 years. She loved dressing up, holidays and parties and was much loved by everyone at Stevenson Court.

In her honour, support workers across Cornerstone were invited to nominate someone who has worked hard to achieve a personal goal this year.

There were 12 winners across our ten branches. All of whom won a £250 prize to spend on something they would enjoy. Our worthy runners up also received £100 each.

Nina MacDonald from our Ayrshire branch was nominated for overcoming her anxieties about going on holiday. Particularly her fears around water. After a week of being on holiday in Centre Parcs she was finally able to face her fears and get into the hot tub. She is going to spend her £250 on another trip to Centre Parcs where she hopes to be in the hot tub every day.

Kayla Harrison from our Borders branch was employed as a carer, moved into a new flat and began studying towards a National 5 qualification in Child Health and Social Care. Gaining employment was a huge achievement and a major stepping stone to one day achieving her dream of going to study nursing at university. Kayla is going to spend her money on bookcases and a new chest of drawers.

AJ Gilmour from our North Lanarkshire branch worked hard on passing his first year of college. AJ achieved this during COVID, adapting to courses being online and completing coursework between hospital appointments. He is going to spend his award on upgrading his PC and buying gig tickets to his favourite metal band.

We have two winners from Aberdeen and Shire North. Kirsten Morgan and Teresa Blackhall who both overcame their anxieties to go on holiday. Kirsten is autistic which means sometimes trying new things can be stressful or challenging. With the support of our team Kirsten went on her first ever holiday where she could see the sights and enjoy going out in the evening. Kirsten plans to spend her prize money on some sensory equipment for the summer house garden.

Teresa overcame her anxiety and was able to go on holiday with support to Cornerstone’s Jubilee House. She stayed for three whole days and had an incredible time. She loved the experience so much she wants to spend her prize money on another trip to Jubilee House.

Allister Kennedy from our Glasgow branch recently secured employment after months of job searching. Gaining a job has increased his confidence. His tenacity and determination will mean a better quality of life for him and his young family. He is going to spend £250 on his family and on items that make him safe when he is outside.

Jamie Boyle from our North Lanarkshire Housing Support branch has achieved lots of personal goals this year. He has tried new foods and even adopted a better bedtime routine which means he is cosy throughout the night. He has managed to eat with stainless steel cutlery and developed a more varied diet. He can now say a few words too. Despite changing provider, Jamie has continued to bring joy to everyone he meets. Jamie is going to spend the £250 on a holiday to Helensburgh next year where he can eat like a king, and buy some new holiday clothes.

Danny from our West Dunbarton branch overcame moving to a new service, his parents moving abroad and the pandemic. He has worked hard to make new friends on his new course. Danny is going to spend his £250 on a new smartphone to contact his friends and make video calls.

Max Bosworth from our Dundee, Perth and West Lothian branch recently underwent major surgery to fit a central line for feeding, which greatly affected his mobility. Through determination, he overcame his surgery, learned to live with the central line and started learning how to walk again. He then did a walking challenge with family and friends who together walked over 800 miles, raising over £1,800 for Cornerstone and another charity! He intends to spend his prize money on Lego and model cars.

Sarah Watt from our Moray branch worked hard towards her health goals and with a lot of drive and determination lost a significant amount of weight. She is looking forward to spending her money on a holiday to Aberdeen.

We have two winners from Aberdeen and Shire South. Lindsey Telfer and Alison Sharp. Lindsey challenged herself in the summer to walk 11,000 metres with her frame - more than the height of Mount Everest! She raised £2,000 so that her housemates had something to look forward to after the hard year we’ve all had in lockdown. Lindsey is going to spend her money on a fun day out for her and her housemates. She really went the extra mile for her friends.

Alison has kept up with her healthy eating plan and lost 6st and 2lbs, giving her more mobility and less pain in her legs. She has gained confidence and can now walk longer distances without becoming breathless. With her prize money, Alison hopes to be able to take her sister to the Strictly Come Dancing show, buy some new clothes and decorate her room.

And congratulations also to all our fantastic runners up, including; Ashleigh Clark, Kenny Thomson, Amir Munir, Lee Millan and Rosa Allen who all received £100 for their hard work.