After his sister Emma (18) died in December 2015 from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, Callum and his family received support via our SWITCH programme. “After Emma died getting myself to go to school was really hard and I struggled to control my anger. Winston’s Wish has been a great help to me and has supported us all through a really tough time. Now I am much more relaxed, can sleep again and am excited about going to school!” Callum’s Mum Becky, who was supported by Winston’s Wish herself as a child after the death of her brother, explained how Winston’s Wish helped Callum deal with his emotions: “Callum was at a crossroads before he started working with Winston’s Wish after his sister died and I didn’t know which way he would go. He had cut himself off from family and friends, was very angry and found it really hard to go to school. After we started working with Winston’s Wish it is clear that he understands his emotions a lot better and has plenty of coping strategies for dealing with anger. He is doing so well now at home and at school and I am really proud of him. I don’t think we would have got through this without Winston’s Wish.”

One of our coaches was delivering a session in a school, during the session he noticed a boy kicking the ball against the wall on his own, his talent was immediately obvious. Our coach was very impressed and stunned to find out that not only had he never played for an organised team before, but he had never even been coached, which is rare for a 9 year old. He was invited to train with his age group at FC Sports where he met new friends, continued to develop and showcase his talents. Naturally we wanted him to join the club and have him playing in a team. After speaking to the family it was clear that they would struggle to pay the fees. After looking in to the situation we knew they qualified for the Scholarship Scheme and so offered them a sponsored place at the club. Within 3 weeks he was spotted by a Liverpool scout and was asked to sign. Liverpool paid for the family to travel to training and matches and continue to do so today. Coaches at LSC have been in contact with the Liverpool Academy staff and it’s clear that he held in very high regards. Through the LSC Scholarship Scheme this player was given the opportunity to showcase his skills and talents and hopefully make a career for himself in football, something otherwise out of reach.