Barretstown is the first addition
outside the United States to Paul Newman’s
family of Hole in the Wall Camps for children with
cancer and other serious illnesses. Barretstown opened
its gates in 1994 and has welcomed over 11,000 children
and their families from Ireland and more than 22
other countries throughout Europe to join in a bit
of therapeutic recreation and pure fun.
At camp, children from around
the world who have known the pain and trauma of cancer
and other serious conditions learn to transcend their
illness in a magical setting in Ireland. Through
their unique, medically endorsed program, these children
discover all they can do rather than what they cannot.
At Barretstown, they help children
find the courage they need to undertake the difficult
journey of their illness and its treatment and encourage
them to participate more actively in their own recovery
process. After taking part in one of the weekend,
ten-day or week-long programs, children go home with
more confidence, self-esteem and most importantly,
the reassurance that happiness is not just for healthy
children.
Barretstown makes a real difference in the lives
of children with a serious illness. But the truth
is, there is much more work to be done. Barretstown
is providing this bit of ordinary childhood to children
with seriously illnesses entirely free of charge
to their families, including round-trip transportation
and medical supervision. Each year Barretstown needs
to raise nearly $5.3 million to run its programs;
they rely entirely on the generosity of individuals,
corporations and organizations such as The American
Ireland Fund.
“Over
the past many years since first opening the
camp’s gates in 1994, Barretstown has
been fortunate to have The American Ireland
Fund and its membership support our program.
It is extraordinary to know that AIF continues
to believe in the camp’s enduring impact
on these children’s lives and celebrates
Paul Newman’s decision to establish the
first ever Hole in the Wall Camp outside the
United States in Ireland.
As the fulfilment of our mission relies on the generosity
of others, Barretstown is grateful to be among the
remarkable projects and initiatives the AIF supports
in Ireland. The American Ireland Fund remains a part
of the magic, discovery, and serious fun shared year-round
with our campers at Barretstown.”
— Alison
Barad, Barretstown Development Officer, USA
| Founder
Paul Newman Celebrates 10 Years of Barretstown |
|
Around 700 children
and their families who have benefited from
Barretstown’s programmes over the past
10 years came back for a spectacular 10th
birthday party with founder Paul Newman.
Over 11,000 children with
cancer and other serious illnesses have taken
part in Barretstown’s life-changing programmes
since the charity was set up in 1994. Their
stay and their airfares have all been provided
free. Paul Newman was in party mode as he arrived
to kick-start a day of ‘serious fun’ for
past campers, their families, staff, volunteers
and friends of the charity.
Party-goers were entertained
by Fossets Circus, as well as music by Westlife
tribute band Westlike, arts and crafts, face
painting, games and bouncy castles. Families
were invited to take a tour around Barretstown’s
facilities, and for past campers it was a trip
down memory lane.
Declan Noone, 21, from
Creggs, Co Galway, came to Barretstown several
times as a teenager and has now come back as
a volunteer or ‘cara’ to help the
children at camp. He joined Paul Newman on
stage and presented him with a sculpted bronze
lamp. The ‘Fairytree’ lamp made
by Genesis of Mullingar, Co Westmeath, depicts
a sad child at the base, a second child beginning
to find their feet and a third reaching up
towards the light—Declan said this shows
the difference the Barretstown programme makes
to a child.
He told the party audience: “I
was here years ago as a camper and today, for
the first time in about nine years, I saw two
of my very first caras. I am still giddy and
nervous about talking to them as they meant
so much. The entire place has meant so much
to me growing up and was so important because
it has made me the person I am happy to be.
Coming back has been incredibly special too.
I want to say thank you to Paul from every
single one of the families and all of the 10,000
children whom you have made happy over the
last 10 years.”
To cheers from the crowd,
Paul Newman accepted the sculpture and said: “One
of the most incredible parts of all this is
how much nourishment there is—how much
nourishment we try to provide for all of you.
But you give just as much to all of us by what
you do.”
“I am frequently asked what motivated
me to start the first Hole in the Wall Camp
in 1988, and, while I would like to have something
noble and inspiring to say about the origins
of the Camps, the simple truth of the matter
is that I wanted to acknowledge the role luck
plays in everyone’s life—the beneficence
of it in the lives of many, such as myself,
and the random brutality of it in the lives
of others, particularly children, who might
not have a lifetime to make up for it.
Barretstown is a great
example of what I mean by good luck. How fortuitous
was the extraordinary generosity of the Irish
government to offer this very special place
for our first venture beyond the shores of
America. I will not forget my initial visit
to the property at Ballymore Eustace. Walking
through the castle and the stable courtyard,
I could begin to see and hear the place swarming
with scores of children having a grand time
in the magical ambience of a medieval carnival.
I knew right there and then that Barretstown
was perfect.
Now, thanks to the hard work and generosity
of so many throughout Ireland, Europe and the
US, the reality is every bit as exciting as
the dream.
What great good fortune
that our first international venture was Barretstown.
It has given us the confidence and experience
to continue to develop new Camps in Europe,
Africa and the Middle East, with more on the
way.
If the first Camp in Connecticut,
USA, is the founder of The Hole in the Wall
movement, then Barretstown deserves to be thought
of as the founder of The Hole in the Wall International
movement.
I thank all of you who
have made Barretstown possible, and all of
you who will continue to make Barretstown a
possibility for thousands of children.” |
 |
As founder Paul Newman
says, "It's not that the children
say, 'Thank you for a wonderful time...'
it's that they say, 'Thank you for changing
my life'."
- Founded by Paul Newman,
Barretstown opened in 1994.
- The core summer programme
is a unique 10-day therapeutic recreation experience.
- Supervision is highly individualised
with a minimum two-to-one ratio of children to
carefully trained supervisors.
- Children come to Barretstown
from Ireland, Britain and throughout Europe, diagnosed
with a wide range of illnesses - primarily cancer
and serious blood diseases.
- Barretstown's medical centre
is staffed 24 hours a day by paediatric specialists
and nurses.
- Barretstown will have served
over 11,000 individuals by the end of 2005, having
grown from serving 124 children in 1994.
- Barretstown also provides
spring and autumn programmes serving children and
families.
- Barretstown must raise nearly
$5.3 million per year to provide this remarkable
programme free of charge, including round trip
transportation and impeccable medical supervision.
Barretstown
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