Dreams Come True, the UK’s only national wish-granting charity, completed a series of dreams thanks to a £75,000 Health Lottery Foundation grant.
The unique charity has successfully made a number of dreams come true supporting children living in the highest areas of deprivation because of the award.
The funding has enabled the charity to deliver a combination of deeply personal individual dreams and large-scale community projects, reaching more children than originally planned creating lasting impact for children, families, schools and neighbourhoods across the UK.
The grant was awarded to support eleven individual dreams and five community dreams, with an original target of benefiting 1,560 children.
Thanks to careful delivery and strong local partnerships, the actual projected impact has risen to 1,636 children, extending the reach of the funding far beyond initial expectations.
Eight individual dreams and two community dreams have already been completed, with the remaining projects progressing towards completion.
Among the completed community dreams is a sensory inclusion project at St Ninians Primary School in Glasgow, where 75 pupils with autism and sensory difficulties face daily barriers to participation.
With almost half of the school community living in areas of the highest deprivation and a significant proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, Dreams Come True focused on creating accessible sensory spaces across the school.
New outdoor musical equipment, calming dens for assemblies and weighted resources for classrooms have helped children regulate, feel safe and engage more confidently in school life. Teachers report increased self-awareness and independence, with pupils actively choosing tools that help them manage overwhelming environments and return to learning feeling settled.
Alongside these shared spaces, the funding has supported individual dreams shaped entirely around the needs and identities of each child.
For Remario, a 14-year-old boy living with autism who has a passion for planes and flight paths, a bedroom makeover created a calm environment where he can regulate, sleep better and feel in control. The transformation has eased anxiety for Remario and reduced stress within the family home. “I asked for a teenage dorm room and it’s even better than what I asked for,” Remario said. “With my night lights on it looks like I’m on a night flight. I love it all.”
For Adeyinka, a 17-year-old with learning disabilities and limited verbal communication, his dream centred on shared family experiences that financial hardship had previously made impossible. A supported trip to London, including the London Eye and SEA LIFE Aquarium, created moments of visible joy and connection for the whole family.
The funding has also transformed daily life for Romeo, a young boy with autism and severe learning disabilities who had spent months out of education and without the resources he needed to help him regulate. By providing specialist sensory and movement equipment at home, including a garden swing and interactive resources, Dreams Come True helped meet Romeo’s sensory needs in a safe, accessible way. The result has been reduced distress, increased engagement and calmer, happier days for Romeo and his family.
Lisa King OBE, CEO of Dreams Come True, said: “This funding has allowed us to respond to both individual and collective need in a really meaningful way. From a child finally having a space where they feel calm and understood, to whole school communities becoming more inclusive, the impact of The Health Lottery Foundation’s support will be felt for years to come. These dreams aren’t fleeting moments, they’re changes that genuinely improve daily life.”
Delva Patman, CEO of The Health Lottery Foundation, said: “We are impressed with the impact Dreams Come True has made with the £75,000 awarded – it’s fantastic to read in such detail the difference it has made to the lives of individual children. I’m looking forward to visiting one of the large-scale community projects that have benefitted from our funding, later in the year.”
The remaining community dreams, including additional sensory resources, a fleet of adapted trikes and the completion of an accessible playground fort in Buckie, are on track for completion by spring 2026, extending the reach of the grant even further.
