What is Barretstown?
Barretstown is a specially-designed camp that provides Therapeutic Recreation programmes for children with serious illnesses, and their families. It was founded by Hollywood actor Paul Newman in 1994 and modelled on his renowned Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut, USA. Excellent, unobtrusive medical supervision helps children with cancer and other diseases forget illness, learn tohave fun and rebuild their confidence and self-esteem. Our programmes take place at a fairytale castle in the beautiful foothills of Ireland's Wicklow Mountains.
Is it just a holiday camp?
No. Far more than any holiday, our summer camps for children, and our spring and autumn weekend camps for families, are carefully-directed psychosocial support programmes of Therapeutic Recreation.
Overseen by carefully trained 'caras' (the Irish word for 'friend') these programmes help children and teens aged seven to 17 rediscover self-esteem, confidence and independence, friendship, trust and hope. Our spring and autumn weekend programmes are specially designed for families of children with serious illness.
(Due to distance and other factors, fewer countries are currently served in our Family Camp programme).
Who do we serve?
Children come to Barretstown from Ireland, Britain and throughout Europe, diagnosed with a wide range of illnesses - primarily cancer and serious blood diseases. Currently, up to 100 children attend each summer session. Family Camps welcome up to 15 families at a time.
What happens at Barretstown?
Our Therapeutic Recreation programmes include every activity you can imagine, and some you probably can't! - including horse-riding, arts and crafts, camping, creative writing, canoeing, fishing, pottery, drama, music and loads more. Children live in cottages in our residential village, sharing meals in the spacious dining hall, and taking part in activities from morning until night. In the evenings everyone gets together for special programmes such as disco, cabaret and theme nights.
Is Barretstown a safe environment for children?
Absolutely! Safety always comes first at Barretstown. The physical, emotional and medical well-being of the children at Barretstown is our primary concern. Our medical centre is staffed 24 hours a day by doctors and nurses experienced in paediatric oncology and other specialities. All activity areas are carefully designed with accessibility and safety as the prime consideration. Activities are supervised with a ratio of at least one cara for every two children, and each cara is fully trained in all aspects of safety.
Serene, secluded and well-staffed, Barretstown is safe.
What does it cost for a child to go to Barretstown?
Not one cent. All our programmes are available free of charge, including round-trip transportation. We rely on fundraising and volunteers to help us provide the Barretstown programme.
Medical
How do we decide who comes to Barretstown?
We don't - your hospital does. Early each year, we offer a specific number of places to each hospital in our network throughout Europe. Our hospital representatives or Liaison Co-ordinators refer the children and families who attend the programme.
What happens next?
When a child applies to come to Barretstown, they receive a Physical Examination form to complete. These forms are then forwarded to our European Child Recruitment Manager who works with our Medical and Childcare Advisory Committee to ensure each child fits our strict referral criteria. Once a child is accepted, they receive an application form. Then they are invited to camp, and we make all the necessary arrangements.
How are the medical needs of the children met?
Our medical team observes the medical regime advised by the child’s doctor and at no time will the medical team deviate from this.
Our medical centre is affiliated with Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Dublin, which is only 30 minutes away. We adhere to the medical policies and protocols set by the hospital.
Upon arrival at Barretstown each child visits the medical centre and meets with a member of the medical team. Medication prescribed to the child is recorded on a prescription sheet and the medication is stored in the medical centre, to be dispensed by our nurses at the appropriate times (usually at mealtimes or bedtime).
Children on treatment are required to bring:
- Their own medication in the original container
- Any equipment required for special medical care
Who is the medical team?
Our well-equipped medical centre is staffed by at least two paediatric doctors and four paediatric nurses. We attract some of the top paediatric medical professionals in the world, many of who return to Barretstown year after year. The team is supervised by a Clinical Co-ordinator, and overseen by our Medical Director.
Camp
When do the programmes take place?
Our summer programme runs from mid-June to mid-September, and we welcome children from all over Europe. We also run Family Support weekends in the spring and autumn.
What is Therapeutic Recreation?
We call it Serious Fun. Therapeutic Recreation at Barretstown follows a model of:
Challenge > Success > Reflection > Discovery
Children take part in entertaining, exciting challenges; they experience success in overcoming these challenges; they reflect on their experiences and make discoveries about their true potential for confidence, self-esteem, independence and friendship.
Every step in the process is designed to be fun, and when children and families fully engage in each challenge they get the most from the experience. That's what we mean by Serious Fun.
Who will take care of my child?
Each staff member is called a 'cara', the Irish word for friend, and the name could not be more appropriate. The staff team is made up of multi-lingual caras from all over the world. Chosen for their experience, empathy and energy, caras receive intensive training in important aspects of childcare as well as areas such as safety, cultural awareness, reflective listening and the techniques of Therapeutic Recreation. With a ratio of at least one cara to every two campers while on site, the children are never far from a trained, skilled and understanding friend.
All Barretstown staff are selected through a strict recruitment process involving intensive group and individual interviews, reference and police checks before being offered a position at Barretstown.
Where do the children stay?
Each child stays in a cottage with approximately seven other children/teens of their own age and gender. Usually two different nationalities will share a cottage. There are four staff members living in the cottage with the children, at least two of whom will be able to help with translation. Bed linen and towels are also provided, and we have complete laundry facilities available.
Can my child bring money to camp?
Since the children and teens spend all of their time at Barretstown, there is no need for them to bring money to camp. However, your child may like to have some money for the airport or train journey to and from camp.
What are meals like?
We provide nutritious and child-friendly meals and snacks for the children and staff. Everybody eats together in the dining hall, and there is always a wide range of hot and cold food available. Please be sure to indicate specific dietary requirements on the application form.
May I contact my child directly?
Direct contact between children and parents is strongly discouraged while children are at camp, except in cases of emergency. This is in order to allow the child to settle and to adjust to the new environment. However, parents may contact Barretstown any time to speak with a cara who will answer any questions and let a parent know how a child is progressing.
How do children from different countries communicate?
We have skilled and trained interpreters and chaperones who speak fluent English and translate between staff and children throughout their stay.
What happens before coming to camp?
After being accepted to Barretstown, your child is sent an invitation and an application form. This application form provides the information that we need to make your child's stay at camp as safe and as fun as possible. If your child has any special needs including mobility or other problems, please state this clearly on the application form, and we will make the necessary arrangements.
What if my child's medication has changed?
If there have been changes in medication just fill in the 'Arrival Day Update' sheet you received with your application form, and give it to your child to bring with them to camp.
Who organises the travel arrangements?
Our European Child Recruitment Manager works with our Barretstown contacts in each country to organise travel and other arrangements. Each child travels to camp completely free of charge. Our policy requires that one chaperone accompanies every five children while travelling.
If your child is travelling to camp from within Ireland, we have pick-up points at the main children's hospitals in Dublin. All details are enclosed with the application form, including a map, if you choose to drive your child to camp.
If your child is travelling to camp from outside Ireland, a chaperone or our Liaison Co-ordinator will be in touch with you approximately 10 days before departure day.
Chaperones are often recruited from the referring hospital and follow exactly the same recruitment process as all other staff. They will arrange to meet you at the airport about two hours before the flight departs. The chaperone will have the airline tickets and will take care of your child's passport, if necessary, when travelling and while at camp.
On arrival at Dublin Airport, a Barretstown staff member will meet the children and their chaperones in the baggage area in the arrivals hall and will escort them to camp where a warm welcome awaits. It takes about an hour to reach Barretstown from Dublin Airport.
