Give Seriously ill Children their Childhood Back

Dear Friend,

I hope you and your loved ones are keeping safe and well as we enter this new year. Hopefully, like the team here in Barretstown, you’re looking ahead to the future with a sense of optimism for all 2021 has to offer.

2020 was undoubtedly an unprecedented year in the history of Barretstown, with the COVID-19 pandemic spreading so much fear, hardship and uncertainty for so many. In a way, the crisis has given us a glimpse into the lives of the families we serve who are living with serious illness and what they go through on a regular basis. So many continually live with the fear of infection and miss out on normal life events that we can often take for granted. Postponing our traditional camp programmes and closing our gates temporarily for these families was an extremely difficult decision for us to make, but an incredibly important step in ensuring the safety of all those we serve and will continue to serve in 2021. 

But while 2020 has provided its fair share of challenges, it has also been a year of great resilience and hope.

You, and so many of our incredible supporters, have continued to show us just how much you care for the work we do here at Barretstown, and for the families who need our support. Without your continued generosity and kindness, we would not have been able to deliver our innovative new Barretstown Live programmes which helped families to continue to engage with us during a time when they needed us most. Campers could enjoy our therapeutic programmes from the safety of their homes or hospital beds, without fear or risk of infection.

Despite the significant challenges we faced in 2020 through the temporary closure of our site and a significant shortfall in our income, we were able to reduce costs by over 30%, allowing us to serve over 6,900 campers, including many who would not have been able to attend Barretstown due to their diagnosis. Barretstown continued to play a vital role in helping families living with a serious illness.

Your support made it possible for us to serve these families in 2020 and will continue to help us serve families throughout 2021. 


Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2021.

Dee Ahearn,
CEO, Barretstown