Volunteer
Volunteering is rewarding, fun and beneficial
Volunteers at Barretstown play a vital role in delivering on Barrestown’s mission – To restore the lives of children living with cancer and other serious illness through life changing therapeutic programmes in a safe, fun and supportive environment.
Barretstown couldn’t deliver its magic without medical and non-medical volunteers. You can play a vital role in restoring a child’s independence, confidence and a sense of self that is often lost during their illness.
By giving your time, energy, and heart, you help create a safe, supportive, and fun environment where children can forget about hospitals and treatments and just be themselves again.
Whether you’re encouraging a nervous camper to try a new activity, offering a listening ear, or helping create moments of pure joy, your presence makes a real difference.
Volunteering at Barretstown is not only life-changing for our campers—it’s an uplifting, rewarding experience for you too. You’ll gain new skills, meet incredible people, and be part of something truly meaningful. Together, we can help children restore their spark, and families begin to heal.
We offer volunteer opportunities across our Summer and Weekend Residential Programmes and Outreach Programmes, from a few hours to 8 days. To volunteer you must be 19 years or older. You’ll join a team led by an experienced leader, supported by full training and induction—no medical experience required, thanks to our dedicated on-site medical team!
“I was a Hospital Outreach Programme volunteer – this is a fantastic programme which benefits everyone. Volunteering is incredibly rewarding“
Barretstown Volunteer
Explore Roles
Residential camp volunteers stay on-site at our world-class facilities, making a real difference in the lives of young people on the path to recovery.
Cara Volunteer
A Barretstown volunteer is known as a “Cara”, the Irish word for “friend,” which perfectly captures what the role is about – being a friendly, caring companion and support to campers.
Cara Role
You’ll encourage and motivate each child to join all camp activities, helping them feel confident, included, and safe. Most importantly, you’ll create a fun, supportive atmosphere where children can rediscover the joys of childhood and simply be kids again.
Commitment
Volunteer shifts range from 3–4 days for Family and Bereavement Weekends to 4–9 days for Children and Teen Camps. Volunteering is residential, and you must commit to the full camp session. Food, accommodation, and transport to and from the airport are provided. Training is included for all volunteers: Spring and autumn volunteers in Ireland attend a session before camp, summer volunteers are trained on-site, and overseas volunteers receive training on arrival.
Medical Volunteers
Our goal is simple – to ensure every child can take part in camp life to the fullest. The Med Shed supports this by delivering exceptional medical care that empowers campers, builds confidence, and never gets in the way of camp magic.
The Med Shed includes:
- Three fully equipped treatment rooms
- A secure pharmacy/dispensary
- Overnight rooms for campers when needed
- Accessible washrooms
- A bright, child-friendly reception and communal area
- All equipment and supplies provided
The Med Shed is led by the Head of Nursing, the Medical Director, and the full-time medical team. They are typically joined by two volunteer doctors and four to six volunteer nurses each camp session, with numbers adjusted as needed depending on the level of care required.
Medical Role
As a medical volunteer, you’ll work alongside this team to provide paediatric care, from everyday bumps and minor illnesses to specialised treatments such as chemotherapy, haemophilia factor, inhalation therapy, and routine oral medications. Medical volunteers receive on-site training when they arrive at camp. Volunteer doctors must be licensed with the Irish Medical Council (IMC), and nurses with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).
Commitment
We require doctors and nurses to join us for our summer camps only and ask that they come for the full duration of a camp session, which is usually 4 to 6 days, although shorter availability can sometimes be accommodated. All food, accommodation and transport to and from Dublin Airport are provided. Volunteering in the Med Shed is a truly unique and rewarding experience. It’s a chance to use your clinical skills in a joyful, uplifting setting, where medical care doesn’t limit childhood, but helps children restore it. If you’re interested in bringing your expertise, compassion, and heart to the Med Shed team, we’d love to hear from you.
Interpreter or Chaperone Volunteers
Each summer, children and teens from across Europe and the USA join Barretstown’s programmes.
We welcome interpreters and chaperones from countries including Poland, Hungary, Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Sweden, Denmark, the UK, Ireland, and the USA. All programmes are delivered in English, so fluency in both English and your home language is required.
Interpreter Role
Facilitate clear communication so non-English speaking campers can fully participate, while supporting their daily needs, accompanying them in activities, and creating a safe, fun, and welcoming environment. New interpreters receive on-site training on the first day of the camp session before the children and chaperones arrive.
Commitment
8–9 days per session, residential at camp, with food, accommodation, and transport to and from the airport provided. Volunteers must commit to the full session. Our camp calendar outlines all programmes and commitments for the year.
Hospital Outreach Programme Volunteers
Bring the magic of Barrestown beyond the gates of camp
Our Hospital Outreach Programme (HOP) brings the playful spirit of Barretstown to children with serious illness in the hospital setting.
As a volunteer, you will work alongside our Hospital Outreach Team, helping to facilitate creative, fun and interactive programmes in playrooms, wards, clinics, and even at the bedside.
You will help to create opportunities for joy and laughter in a time often laden with fear, stress, uncertainty and boredom.
Using the same model of therapeutic recreation that informs all of Barretstown’s programmes, our HOP team work within the hospital environment to create individualised, activity-based programmes focused on optimising the young person’s quality of life both during their hospital stay and beyond.
Locations
We currently offer our Hospital Outreach Programme in hospitals in Dublin (CHI at Crumlin, CHI at Temple Street), Belfast (Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children), Cork (Cork University Hospital) and London (University College London Hospital).
Commitment
We welcome volunteers who are available on weekdays. Ideally, HOP volunteers will have previously worked or volunteered at a Barretstown camp, or have experience working with young people in another professional capacity. Before signing up for volunteer sessions with our team, you will be required to complete our mandatory online training on working in the hospital environment. Our HOP team will also conduct an in-person orientation with you on the morning of your first session.