A travel agency in Newquay is making five people's dreams come true with a new community campaign.
Jessica and Laurie Gardener, who own luxury travel agency L&K Travel, have launched a Big Wish competition. They are inviting Cornwall residents to nominate themselves or someone deserving for a prize of their choosing.
The campaign runs on the company's Instagram and Facebook pages. People can ask for any wish "within reason", from concert tickets to a family day out. Five winners will be announced on 1 December, the day the competition closes.
Each winner will also receive a goodie bag filled with industry treats, including Disneyland Paris stationery and easyJet Holidays teddy bears.
The Big Wish campaign is the latest in a series of community-focused initiatives from the couple. In previous years, they organised Christmas appeals to ensure every child in town received a present, set up a Santa's letterbox, and invited nominations for families needing support. Last year, several travel suppliers donated gifts for local hampers.
Entries for this year's Big Wish have already started coming in. One applicant hopes to get vouchers for their children's Christmas presents, while another wants to send their disabled mother on a relaxing break.
Jessica told Travel Gossip the idea was inspired by her own family and her involvement in a Special Educational Needs Facebook group that grants wishes. She said: "I have two neurodiverse children and am a member of a Special Educational Needs Facebook group that grants wishes. It got me thinking that there are lots of people out there who are struggling just to buy a weekly shop at the supermarket or can't afford to treat someone they love. I like making people happy and I'm in a position to help."
The competition is currently limited to Cornwall residents, but Jessica hopes to expand it nationwide in future years. She said: "As much as we want it to be across the UK, for the first Big Wish we're focussing on our local area as the community is really important to us. But we hope it will become a yearly event nationwide."
People can take part by commenting under L&K Travel's Big Wish post on Facebook or Instagram, explaining the prize they or their nominee should win and why.
Newquay Travel Firm Launches Big Wish Giveaway for Locals