The best part of being a Shared Lives carer is seeing the people we support achieve the stuff they’ve dreamed of doing. For Lee, going to see Manchester United play football at Old Trafford was an ambition he’d yet to realise – but with the support of his Shared Lives carer, Adele, behind him, he was able to change that for himself.
Lee has supported Manchester United’s women’s and men’s teams for as long as he can remember. He’s never missed a match on the telly but couldn’t help feeling like he was missing out having never watched his beloved teams play on home turf. Visiting somewhere new wasn’t something he’d ever really done or felt confident doing. For Lee to achieve this, he was going to have to step out of his comfort zone.
Small steps towards a big goal
Lee joined an online fan forum for Manchester United Women’s team, and the more friends he made, the more he grew in confidence. He was feeling brave enough to book himself a ticket a get to a match at Old Trafford in no time! It would have been easy for Lee to stay in his newfound comfort zone but he wanted to see what else he was capable of doing.
Lee had eyes on a new prize
With his newfound network of mates, Lee decided to challenge himself even more. Seeing the team at Old Trafford had become easy, but what if he managed to attend an away match, in a completely different city? He booked a ticket to attend his first away game to watch the Manchester United Women’s team play their rivals in nearby Liverpool. Lee booked his ticket independently and arranged his transport to the football ground to get on the official club coach. He had a great day out and developed the confidence to attend even more away games.
Smashing goals and making new ones
It seems there’s no stopping Lee! Since then, he’s travelled to Bristol, Brighton, London and Southampton to support his team! Lee books all of his tickets and transport by himself and makes sure that he’s well prepared for the day ahead by taking sandwiches and snacks to enjoy on the coach.
Lee’s carer, Adele said: ‘I’ve witnessed Lee’s growing independence and happiness, and I am really proud of how he has navigated new situations such as travelling to new places and forming new friendships’.
To top it off, Lee has met some famous faces along the way! Recognise anyone?
