The Chairman of Barretstown, Maurice Pratt, recently announced that the charity has received a funding bequest in excess of €7million. The bequest was included in the will of a supporter of Hollywood legend, Paul Newman, who founded Barretstown in 1994. The family of the late supporter have expressed a wish to remain anonymous.
Chairman Maurice Pratt stated that the funds will be invested wisely:
This is a magnificent act of generosity and we cannot express our gratitude strongly enough. We were first notified of the bequest earlier this year and we are now delighted to make public our good news. The Board will ensure that this money is invested wisely and it will go towards upgrading our facilities and help with the introduction of new activities for our campers. Currently, the annual running costs of Barretstown are almost €5million and the interest income from the bequest will be of great help in this regard. We will still need the help of our many dedicated and generous supporters to raise our annual running costs to ensure that we can serve as many children affected by serious illness and their families far into the future”.