Dubliners ‘hop on and help out’ children’s charity

FAMOUS Dubliners went sightseeing yesterday to help raise funds for a charity devoted to helping sick children.

Former world snooker champion Ken Doherty, Senator David Norris, the city’s new Lord Mayor Vincent Jackson, singer Don Baker and some of Fair City’s favourite soap stars climbed on board a special sightseeing bus and urged the public to “hop on and help out” the Barretstown Camp in Co Kildare.

Founded in 1994 by the movie star Paul Newman, Barretstown became the first Hole in the Wall Gang Camp outside the US and has grown from catering for 124 children at camp to more than 1,000 this year.

Barretstown needs to raise €4 million each year from companies, funds and individuals to run its programmes. Mr Newman provided an initial IR£2m (€2.5m) to help open Barretstown, but the running costs now come from charitable donations.

Barretstown has helped 10,000 children and families from Ireland and all over Europe since Mr Newman set up the camp. There are other camps in France, Britain and Hungary.

Through its fun activities, Barretstown’s programme aims to give back to these children some of the confidence and self-esteem they have lost during their gruelling medical treatment.

The guided bus tours, offered in six different languages, are popular with tourists and the company will be donating its entire takings on July 20 to the charity, which helps children with cancer and other serious illnesses have some serious fun.