Policy Research Media Morhamburn

Morhamburn was delighted to support the Dreamflight charity in October 2009 as they took 192 seriously ill and disabled children on a once in a lifetime holiday to the famous theme parks of Orlando, Florida. Morhamburn was one of the sponsors of the Donald Duck group which was made up of 16 children from Edinburgh and the East of Scotland.

Every year since 1987 Dreamflight has taken children from around the UK whose illnesses and conditions would otherwise prevent them from going on such a trip with their own families.

For the entire length of their journey, the children are given the VIP treatment by teams of committed professionals. From the Met police officers who serve them their breakfast in the hotel prior to departure, to the flight crew who volunteer to staff and fly the plane, and of course the army of doctors, nurses, physios and other volunteers who donate their time and expertise to care for the children for the duration of the holiday.

When they land in the USA, a fleet of yellow buses takes them to their hotel with a blue-light escort of police outriders, and at every theme park they visit, the staff go out of their way to make each and every child feel special for the entire 10 days of their stay. No luxury or indulgence is too great; in fact that is they very point.

While fun is Dreamflight’s main aim for the children, they also get from it a sense of independence and increased confidence to take home with them. This aspect of the trip is arguably more important in helping the children to gain the confidence to be able to live with or recover from their condition.  

Aged between 8 and 14, this is normally the kids first trip away from their parents, and the sense of empowerment that they get from going on rollercoasters and taking part in activities that they could not normally means that there is a lasting and meaningful legacy to take from the holiday.

For more information on Dreamflight, follow this link to their website.