Sports student receives Buckingham Palace invite

Callum Morrison at Buckingham Palace

Callum Morrison, a sports student at Hopwood Hall College, received a personal invite to Buckingham Palace after achieving gold standard in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.

The ceremony celebrated the awards’ 60th anniversary and saw top achievers from across the UK attend the royal garden party.

Callum, who is supported by Learning Support Tutors at Hopwood Hall College, described how his path to the palace began and how his royal trip went, he said: “I started the award challenges because I was inspired by older kids at school who had done the same. I’m really glad I did it, the walks up Pendle Hill and in Whitby were the biggest challenges I faced but the views were amazing and I enjoyed sharing the experience with my friends.

“It was funny how I got the invite. It was on the day of my maths exam result, so when my phone rang I feared the worst. However it was the organisers inviting me to Buckingham Palace.

"As a lad growing up in Oldham, I never thought I would receive a royal invite.

“The day itself was amazing. I was shocked by the scale of the place, the gardens were like nothing I had ever seen before.

"My mum and I both saw Prince William whilst he was speaking to guests, but as much as we ran around looking we didn’t manage to spot any of the celebrities that were there.

“It’s been a big achievement for me and the support I‘ve had from my tutors and my family definitely got me here. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”

Julie Morrison, Callum’s mum, echoed the levels of pride felt by her son, she said: “Both myself and my partner Pete are so proud of all of Callum’s achievements. To watch him progress during his D of E Awards has been amazing, particularly when we watched him perform a sponsored swim for his diamond award - swimming 60 lengths in 30 minutes.

“We’d like to say a special thanks to Crompton House, Mahdlo Youth Zone, Royton Air Cadets, Royton Water Polo and Hopwood Hall College. Without their support, Callum would not have been able to achieve all that he has.”