Barretstown Welcomes Our 100,000th Camper!
Barretstown Welcomes Our 100,000th Camper!
Picture by Shane O’Neill, Coalesce.
BARRETSTOWN MARKS MAJOR 100,000TH CAMPER MILESTONE WITH NATIONAL APPEAL TO RAISE €100,000 – Pledge Your Support
Barretstown, the largest and most established organisation in Ireland providing therapeutic recreation camps and programmes to children affected by cancer and other serious illnesses recently welcomed its 100,000th camper April Banks (10) to its campus. April who is battling neuroblastoma, a cancer which affects the nerve cells, together with her family are appealing to the nation to get behind a national fundraising appeal to raise €100,000 and increase volunteer numbers across the month of September to mark this special milestone for the charity.
This year alone, Barretstown will support over 17,000 children, up from 14,000 children in 2022, through the provision of research informed medically endorsed therapeutic camps and programmes in a series of fun-based activities for children and their families. On average, over 50% of the children supported annually by Barretstown are affected by oncology and haematology related illnesses.
Research has highlighted the psychological impact of a serious illness on a child or young adolescent, altering the trajectory of their emotional development and disrupting all aspects of their lives, including school, friendships, learning and development. Further to this, the HSE National Cancer Strategy recognises the complex needs facing adolescents and young adults and the “unmet” psychosocial needs of this group.*
A study conducted by Yale School of Medicine with parents of children affected by serious illness, found that 83% of parents indicated that their child’s self-confidence had increased and 74% felt their child’s independence had improved, after experiencing Barretstown’s camps and programmes. Furthermore, findings from the SeriousFun Children’s Network**, a global network of camps empowering children with serious illness, of which Barretstown is a member, found that past campers of Barretstown cited the significant positive impact of therapeutic recreation programmes on their sense of well-being and self-esteem.
All services provided to children and their families at Barretstown are free of charge, with only 2% of funding provided by the government with the remainder supported by donations and the fundraising efforts of corporate supporters, individuals, and community groups.
It is estimated that there are over 200 new diagnoses of children, aged 0-15, who present with paediatric-centric cancer or other haematological conditions and up to 180 cases of cancer among those aged 16-24, per year.***
CEO of Barretstown Dee Ahearn said,
“We know from research, the impact of cancer and other serious illnesses on the psychological and social wellbeing of children and young adolescents who are grappling with the debilitating physical impact of going through treatment.
“For someone at that age, their life is full of hospital visits, medication and treatment as opposed to enjoying the routine of school, sport, hobbies and friends. Their self-esteem, confidence and enjoyment in life takes a backseat and often at the most critical juncture in their young life. At Barretstown we say that hospital treats the illness, while Barretstown treats the child, pressing play on a childhood that has been disrupted through serious illness.
“This year alone, we intend to support over 17,000 children and family members with a plan to increase that to over 25,000 by 2028. All services are free of charge to children and families at Barretstown and delivered by a fully trained team of professionals, supported by 24/7 on site medical care. The delivery of these services is contingent upon the generosity of public support and as we mark this significant milestone, we are asking people to pledge their support to Barretstown by donating or signing up to be a volunteer.”
Prof Owen Smith, Professor of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Consultant Paediatric Haematologist at Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin, and Medical Patron of Barretstown, said,
“Barretstown is as important as the chemotherapy we give kids and adolescents with cancer and a key pillar in how we deliver inclusive comprehensive cancer care to our children and young people in Ireland.
“The importance of these therapeutic recreation programmes as part of a child’s recovery journey, cannot be underestimated with children increasing their confidence, self-esteem and independence after experiencing the programmes provided by Barretstown.
“The recently launched National Cancer Control Programme Model of Care for Psycho-Oncology Services for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer and their families, outlines the blueprint for the provision of psychosocial and psychological support services for this cohort over the lifetime of the National Cancer Strategy (2017-2026), and organisations like Barretstown play a crucial role in meeting the individual needs of these groups and providing a beacon of light for people at an incredibly difficult time in their lives.”
Katie Banks, mum of 100,000th camper April said,
“We are proud to get behind this very special fundraising campaign. Barretstown holds a truly special place in the hearts of all the Banks family, but in particular April, who has enjoyed incredible visits to camp. April was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer which affects the nerve cells in 2015, and as you can appreciate our world, has been turned upside down since that moment.
“Life has been full of hospital visits and treatments which have had a significant impact on April, physically as well as well as mentally, and it has of course changed the course of her life. She has missed out on so much and on many of the milestones you associate with a childhood that is not affected by serious illness. Despite all of this, and the multiple rounds of treatment in the intervening years, April has managed to keep a smile on her face and has been an inspiration to all of us.
“We were delighted to attend Barretstown in 2019 and to discover the amazing programmes that are on offer. As you can appreciate, childhood illness affects not only the child but the whole family, and Barretstown has provided our family with an opportunity to come together and to reconnect.
“It has put smiles on our faces, given us a sense a joy and an opportunity to forget, for a time, the reality of hospitals and treatment. It truly is magical, and I would urge as many people as possible to show their support.
“We are all aware of a child or family that are experiencing a serious illness and with that in mind, I would appeal to the public to remember this and to know that when you support Barretstown, you are helping children like April and families, like mine, to come here and to experience the life enhancing programmes of Barretstown.”
To find out more about Barretstown’s latest fundraising campaign visit barretstown.org and follow our campaign on socials #IPledge
Barretstown Welcomes Éanna Ni Lamhna to Enchanted Forest for National Tree Week
Barretstown Welcomes Éanna Ni Lamhna to Enchanted Forest for National Tree Week
We were delighted to welcome Éanna Ni Lamhna, President of the Tree Council of Ireland, to Barretstown this week, to mark National Tree Week in Ireland. Barretstown CEO Dee Ahearn welcomed Éanna to the Barretstown Enchanted Forest, which comprises of native Irish trees which are available to sponsor by the general public. The trees in the Enchanted Forest were generously donated by the Tree Council of Ireland and Coillte.
Running until Sunday 26th March, National Tree Week is an annual celebration which is organised by The Tree Council of Ireland and proudly supported by Coillte. It is designed to raise awareness of the importance of trees to the environment. A packed schedule of activities from eco art workshops to group forest walks will be taking place right across the country, with Coillte donating 150,000 native tree saplings for planting by local community groups. To get involved in events happening in your local area this National Tree Week visit www.treecouncil.ie.
Christmas FM Raises Nearly €300k for Charity Partners
Christmas FM Raises Nearly €300k for Charity Partners
Christmas FM, the much-loved festive music station that switches Christmas on across Ireland every year, is delighted to announce that it raised €294,706 in 2022 for children’s charities Barnardos, Barretstown, Make-A-Wish Ireland and Community Foundation Ireland under it’s new ‘Magic of Christmas’ initiative.
This figure will go a significant way towards Christmas FM’s aim to raise over €1,000,000 over a three-year period for the Magic of Christmas initiative to help 5,000 vulnerable children in our communities affected by traumatic life events such as poverty, abuse, neglect and bereavement, and to supporting children whose lives are affected by serious childhood illness.
The 2022 figure brings the total amount raised by the radio station to almost €3.2 million since it began broadcasting 15 years ago. Christmas FM is run each year by a core management team, assisted by many volunteers who donate their time.
Paul Shepherd, Co-Founder of Christmas FM, says: “We are delighted to have raised €294,706 for The Magic of Christmas initiative. We couldn’t have done it without our loyal listeners who tuned in and generously donated throughout the festive season. We would like to thank The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland for granting us the license to broadcast festive music across Ireland, and our premier FM sponsors for 2022 – Cadbury, Coca-Cola, and An Post. We would also like to thank The Clayton Hotel Liffey Valley who kindly donated the studio this year. As always, we are so grateful to all the team and volunteers who help make Christmas FM so magical each year.”
Commenting on the total amount raised, the charity partners jointly said: “We would like to thank The Magic of Christmas for working with our charities as official charity partners. We are overwhelmed by the incredible support for The Magic of Christmas initiative which helps over 5,000 vulnerable and seriously ill children in our communities across Ireland. We can’t thank the Christmas FM team and listeners enough for raising an incredible €294,706 which will really make a significant difference. Thanks to you, we can really transform the lives of vulnerable and seriously ill children and Give the Gift of Childhood to those who need it most.”
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) grants Christmas FM a 30-day temporary sound broadcasting license, which enables the station to broadcast on a range of frequencies throughout the country.
Chief Executive of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Celene Craig said: “The power of radio to bring people together has once again shone through in the wonderful fundraising achievement of Christmas FM during the 2022 festive season. On behalf of the BAI, I would like to congratulate the station team and listeners for another great fundraising drive.”
This year, Christmas FM was generously sponsored by the premier FM sponsors Cadbury, Coca-Cola and An Post. Christmas FM was also broadcast live from The Clayton Hotel Liffey Valley.