BUMBLEance ‘Shocking Shirts’ fundraiser supporting families of children with life-limiting conditions

Now in its third year, the campaign raises funds for and awareness of BUMBLEance’s work. It helps the 8,000 or more families across Ireland that have children with life-limiting conditions

BUMBLEance drivers Jimmy O'Beirne and Joe Mulligan ready for another busy day bringing sick children from all over Ireland to their medical appointments.

You’ve got the perfect excuse to don your boldest, brightest and wackiest shirt this Friday, April 11. BUMBLEance, Ireland’s children’s ambulance service, is calling on you to wear it for its Shocking Shirts fundraising campaign.

Now in its third year, this campaign raises funds for and awareness of BUMBLEance’s work. It helps the 8,000 or more families across Ireland that have children with life-limiting conditions. 

These children live all over Ireland but must travel to the children’s hospitals in Dublin for their medical appointments.

This is where BUMBLEance comes in. It has decorated ambulances and other vehicles in cheerful colours and kitted them out with computer consoles and games, DVD players, books, and toys so that these sick children and their families can have fun while they travel.

Shay Collins keeps smiling with the help of BumbleAnce.

In 2024 alone, they brought 695 sick children on 2,389 trips to hospitals, hospices, treatment and respite centres nationwide. They need your help to do this again this year.

Sign up for Shocking Shirts at exa.mn/shocking-shirts. You’ll receive a free fundraising pack and all the branded material you need to get started.

Be sun smart

The sun has reappeared in the sky following its long winter hiatus. This means that children across Ireland are once again being reminded how to stay safe in the sun.

SunSmart’s Five Ss tell them exactly how to do this. Slip on clothing that covers the skin. Slap on a wide-brimmed hat to protect the face, ears and neck. 

Seek shade when the sun is especially strong. Slide on sunglasses to protect the eyes. And slop on the sunscreen.

The Get SunSmart Children’s Art Competition tries to reinforce this message. It’s aimed at children in preschool and primary school. Younger ones are asked to colour in a picture while older ones are asked to draw a picture of their own.

The competition has four  age categories with prizes in each one. 

• The deadline for entry is Friday, May 9, and full details on how to enter are available from exa.mn/art-competition.
  

Best sock forward 

Who doesn’t love a pair of colourful socks? The team behind Irish Socksciety certainly do. Based in Galway, they produce quirky socks for people of all ages.

Socksciety socks cost €6.50 a pair and can be ordered from irishsocksciety.com

Let’s Count or Comhairimis is one of the styles in its children’s range. These socks are cute. They’re colourful and they’re a great way of introducing little ones to the Irish language.

• They cost €6.50 a pair and can be ordered from irishsocksciety.com

Wild for new children's book

The latest picture book from the award-winning Irish author and illustrator Paddy Donnelly aims to inspire the next generation of storytellers.

Badger Books tells the tale of a bookshop run by a badger. This bookshop stocks books about all sorts of animals but it doesn’t have the book that Rory the Fox really wants. The one about jellyfish on the moon meeting pirate octopuses and scorpions from Saturn.

Badger Books by award-winning Irish author and illustrator Paddy Donnelly

Badger gets cross when Rory constantly asks him for a book that doesn’t exist and snaps that he should write it himself. 

He regrets this later when he finds Rory crying because he hasn’t learned how to write yet. So the pair decide to work on the story together, with Rory dictating while Badger types.

This book is about the magic of stories, the wonder of bookshops and the power of older and younger generations coming together in friendship. It’s widely available for €14.99

Building blocks for literacy 

Parents and toddlers are invited to a free event taking place in St John’s Pavillion on Mulgrave Street in Limerick this Thursday, April 10. Organised as part of Limerick’s Lifelong Learning Festival, its aim is to support parents in building their little one’s literacy. Over the course of an hour and a half from 9.30am, parents and their children will be guided through a range of playful and educational activities.

• Register to take part at exa.mn/building-blocks.