A group of learning disabled adults in Shropshire saw a holiday dream come true – with a trip to EuroDisney in France.
Richard, Marianne and Luke who live at a residential service in Telford run by the learning disability charity Hft, jetted off to the French capital for a three night stay.
The three had been dreaming of meeting Mickey, Pluto and his pals for many years.
The team in Telford worked with the friends to enable them to realise their Disney dream – with support workers Lauren and David assisting them on their European journey.
Ahead of the trip, the trio all needed new passports which Deputy Manager Enid helped organise, as well as arranging the accommodation and liaising with the airline to arrange suitable flights.
For Richard the trip last month was the first time he had travelled in an airplane – at the age of 69.
Richard said: “I was very nervous and found take off noisy but I enjoyed the experience.
“I would now like to have another holiday which involves taking a flight to get there.
“The trip was very tiring.
“We did a lot of walking but it was great fun.”
Marianne loves all things Disney, especially Mickey Mouse and Pluto, and said: “I loved the parade with all the characters, I bought lots of things and had lots of coffee.”
Marianne is hoping to return to Euro Disney next year and spend a week there.
As well as seeing the characters, everyone enjoyed the rides including the ghost train, pirate ship and a visit to the aquarium.
Marianne is also an avid shopper and enjoyed visiting some of the shopping centres around Paris.
Luke also enjoyed his trip abroad.
Although he is non-verbal, Luke shared using body language and expressions that he enjoyed the whole experience.
Marianne and Richard said: “We were supported very well by both David and Lauren to make the trip a truly memorable experience.”
The person centred support offered by Hft not only enables Marianne, Richard and Luke to enjoy experiences such as holidays, it enables and empowers learning disabled adults to thrive in all areas of their lives.
This includes finding meaningful paid work or volunteering opportunities, building new relationships, and being active members of their communities.
It also helps with the everyday things in life we can sometimes take for granted, like doing a weekly food shop, cooking and managing money.
Without that support, learning disabled people can often feel shut out of the society we all share.
Support worker Lauren Thompson said: “Taking Richard, Marianne and Luke to Disneyland Paris was a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience.
“Marianne, Richard and Luke were so excited to see their favourite Disney characters and their joy made it all worthwhile.
“I’m Marianne’s key worker and since the trip, she’s been talking non-stop about how much she loved it.
“She’s even said she wants to go back for a longer stay next time, which shows just how special it was for her.”
