Family fun day as Kildare's Barretstown hosts annual Big Picnic
Barretstown invites families to visit 500-acre campus in Ballymore on Sunday 16 August for a day of free family activities
Barretstown is inviting families from all over Ireland to visit its 500-acre campus in Ballymore Eustace, County Kildare on Sunday, August 16 for a day of free family activities, kindly sponsored by Brady Family Ham.
Since its foundation in 1994, Barretstown, Ireland’s leading provider of psychosocial care for children affected by cancer and other serious illnesses, has served over 150,000 campers through its specially designed therapeutic camps and programmes.
The Big Picnic offers families the opportunity to experience the magic of Barretstown, and they can enjoy a fun-filled day of camp activities. Visitors can take part in many activities such as the climbing wall along its popular adventure course, go horseback riding at the equestrian centre, go canoeing along the lake, play mini golf or try their hand at a range of giant games.
For a more relaxed pace, families can enjoy face painting, arts and crafts and delicious treats from the food stalls against the backdrop of live entertainment in the courtyard.
A highlight of the day is the return of Fossett’s Circus, who will be putting on three spectacular performances throughout the day, featuring their talented troupe of jugglers, aerial acrobats, magicians and stunt performers. This is the only paid activity of the day, and tickets can be purchased in advance, with proceeds going towards Barretstown.
Dee Ahearn CEO of Barretstown said: "The Big Picnic offers a wonderful opportunity for people to experience the unique support Barretstown provides to children living with cancer and other serious illness and their families. Through our life-changing therapeutic programmes, we help children build confidence, resilience and independence in a fun, safe environment.
"We're looking forward to welcoming families, friends and supporters to our beautiful campus on Sunday 16th August for a day filled with fun, adventure and community spirit. We hope many people will join us to experience Barretstown firsthand while supporting the vital work we do throughout the year."