Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid has paid tribute to five-year-old Gregor Corse from Orkney, who raised just under £80,000 for charity, after he won the Good Morning Britain Young Fundraiser Award at this year's Pride of Britain Awards.
Gregor was recognised for his fundraising efforts, which included a series of walking challenges undertaken despite living with a neurological condition that affects his balance, mobility and speech.
Meeting a Snooker Hero
Sharing a selfie with the youngster on Instagram, Reid described him as an "absolutely gorgeous character" and revealed how meeting his snooker hero, Stephen Hendry, brought out his chatty side. In the caption, she wrote: "PRIDE OF BRITAIN! Let me tell you about our AMAZING @gmb young fundraiser @gregorcorsefundraiser - he has raised almost £80k for charity in Orkney. He is a SNOOKER fanatic so when he met his hero Stephen Hendry he was SO chatty. He has a neurological condition and his speech and mobility is affected."
Reid also explained how Hendry played an unexpected role in encouraging Gregor to take his first steps. When Gregor was three, his mum encouraged him to practise his physiotherapy at home by telling him that Stephen would want him to try. The idea inspired the youngster to start walking around his house.
Fundraising Journey
Gregor's fundraising began with a goal to raise £500 for Inclusive Orkney, a charity that provides activities and events for children with additional support needs. In February, he committed to walking "30 loops o' the hoose" every day for 30 days, completing the challenge without his walker, even in pouring rain.
His efforts drew widespread attention, with donations surpassing the original goal and reaching £73,000. In August, he took on another challenge, walking the 1.2-mile journey to nursery four days a week throughout the month, raising a further £7,000 and counting for Clan Cancer Support and Soma's Light, which provides mental health support for young people in Orkney.
National Recognition
Social media users congratulated Gregor, with one writing: "Amazing Gregor.. superhero." Another commented: "Aww bless him.. he's so happy, what an experience.. congratulations to Gregor on raising all that money..well done mate." A third simply stated: "All the best Gregor from Edinburgh."
Gregor took centre stage at the Pride of Britain Awards in London on October 19, where Reid presented him with the award alongside other GMB presenters.
