Leeds United star makes dreams come true

Leeds United star, Ilia Gruev, made dreams come true for people supported by Community Integrated Care, surprising them with a VIP stadium tour and matchday experience.

Inspired by our charity’s mission of enabling people to live their ‘Best Life Possible’, Ilia, planned and delivered a dream experience for three avid fans who are supported by our charity – Paul Harrison, Mark Whittaker and Lee Hainsworth.

Ilia’s three guests all have learning disabilities or are autistic and are supported Community Integrated Care to live with independence in the community. Leeds United is their greatest passion, a constant source of joy and conversation, which their support teams enable them follow.

Believing that they were simply attending Elland Road for a sightseeing experience, the group were thrilled when they were invited by club officials to have a behind the scenes tour of the iconic stadium. They were stunned when they arrived in the first team changing rooms to be greeted by the Bulgarian international.

Ilia gifted the group signed shirts and memorabilia, talked to them about life as a Leeds United player, and answered their questions about the club that they love. He then took the group pitch side, and they experienced walking through the tunnel and onto the hallowed turf before he unveiled another surprise – inviting them as his VIP guests to Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Millwall.

Deeply touched by the experience, Paul, a lifelong fan whose home is filled with Leeds memorabilia, said, “This is the best day ever. I cannot believe it. Thank you, Ilia.”

The group struck up a real bond with Ilia, who enjoyed hearing about their lives, the support of Community Integrated Care, and their love of Leeds United. As the tour came to an end, Ilia signed it off with “big hugs”.  Football fanatic Mark led the group in a rousing chant of “Come on Leeds!”, as Lee added, “Thank you for an amazing day.”

The surprise was taken to new levels when the group visited Elland Road for the FA Cup tie, being joined by Jenny Robinson and Declan Jenkinson, who also access our support services. With pitch side seats, they cheered on their heroes.

The weekend had one final surprise, as Ilia arranged to meet them after the game. Introducing the group to his teammates and taking time to hear about their experiences, the experience powerfully signed off what Paul described as “so amazing.”

Ilia Gruev, said, “It was my pleasure to meet Lee, Paul and Mark, and their support teams at Community Integrated Care. It was brilliant to see how much Leeds United means to them – they inspired me, as much as I hope to have inspired them.”

“It has been great to support Community Integrated Care. I know that the charity does a lot of valuable work in the local community. It is so important to give back to the community, so I am proud to have supported a great cause.”

John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care, said, “We were blown away by the efforts that Ilia made to enable the people we support to live their greatest dreams. He was generous with his time, deeply interested in connecting with the people we support, and had real respect for the work of Community Integrated Care.”

“Paul, Mark, Lee, Jenny and Declan will never forget this experience. Our thanks go to Ilia and everyone at Leeds United who facilitated their dreams coming true.”

Watch the video below and experience highlights from the day when Ilia made dreams come true for the people we support: