A single mum has given away a dream Disneyland trip after her replacement passport didn't arrive on time. Marie-Clare Kelly, 37, of Baillieston, Glasgow, tried to get the process sped up after initially applying five weeks before the trip.
However, this didn't work out and she couldn't get the dates change so was unable to take her eight-year-old Chael on a dream to Disneyland Paris. Instead, the e-learning manager decided to use the power of social media to find an equally deserving family, Glasgow Live reports.
Marie-Clare found another mother and her three-year-old to take the Monday to Thursday holiday.
She explained: “I couldn’t bear to think about the empty Disney places and an empty hotel room going to waste. The holiday cost me £800. It may not seem much to some people but it is a lot for us.”
“I wanted to give the holiday to a person who couldn’t afford it and needed a break. I found a mum, transferred it over and she was off to Disney.
"It was quite nice to make a positive thing happen out of a bad situation. I am a believer in what goes around comes around.”
Coach company Caledonian Travel said they were unable to change the dates but gave the mum-of-one a £100 voucher.
Marie-Clare went to the Passport Office in Glasgow and was constantly on the phone trying to get the passport sorted. They have previously warned that passengers should allow 10 weeks before their date of travel amid "record demand."
The 37-year-old soon discovered her efforts were in vain as applications have to be active for six weeks before being fast tracked.
She still hasn’t received her passport after applying in May and said: “We were devastated but tried to make the best of it.”
Former brownie leader Marie-Clare hadn’t told son Chael they were destined for Disney - keeping it as a surprise - so he has been slightly shielded from the bulk of disappointment.
Meanwhile members of the Baillieston community have been rallying around with Mediterranean restaurant Kastriot raising money to try and send the duo away again.
Baillieston Labour Councillor Kevin Lalley said:“Marie-Clare is a hard working person who found herself with an issue and gave the holiday away to a deserving family. It is a feel-good factor for the Baillieston ward. We want a sense of community back after two years of the pandemic.”
A HM Passport Office spokesperson said: “Staff are processing approximately 250,000 passport applications each week and between March and May 98.5 per cent of applications were completed within 10 weeks. But we cannot compromise security checks and people should apply with plenty of time prior to travelling.
“Since April 2021, we’ve clearly stated that people should allow up to 10 weeks when applying for their passport to factor in the increased demand, which has seen five million people delay their passport application due to the pandemic. Face-to-face passport services are only available by appointment.”
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