News
Barnardos App Provides In Your Pocket Support for Parents
27 April 2011 - Barnardos, Ireland’s leading independent children’s charity launched its first iPhone app today enabling parents to access information about child protection, parenting tips and free family events and activities nationwide with a few clicks. Barnardos iPhone app is available to download for just 79cents from the apple App store from today, with fifty per cent of the download fee being donated to the charity.
“The app is an exciting venture for us,” said Ruth Guy, Barnardos Director of Fundraising and Marketing. “Our iPhone app is providing parents with information in their pocket, whenever they need it. One of the key elements is the easy access to parenting tips, information about our services and advice, including guidance on steps to take if you are concerned about a child protection issue. Timing can often be crucial, so having information so quickly to hand can be invaluable.”
“There’s also the fun stuff,” said Ms Guy. “We have selected a range of educational, fun games suitable for children aged three and up, so parents can occupy their children while travelling in the car, sitting in the shopping trolley or waiting in a queue for the doctor. In addition we have a county-by-county family events guide with fun ideas for free family activities and events happening across Ireland.”
The Barnardos app was developed free of charge for the charity by a start-up Dublin based company, Magictime Apps. “We are thrilled to see the Barnardos app available for download. This is the result of many long days and a great partnership,” said Warren Kavanagh, Magictime Apps. “We really hope the app helps Barnardos to engage with iPhone owners and develop a lasting and meaningful relationship with parents, donors, fundraisers and volunteers.”
Magictime Apps will donate fifty per cent of the 79 cent download fee to the children’s charity every time the app is downloaded. “In these tough times, we decided to support Barnardos and do our bit to make a difference to the lives of children throughout Ireland. In designing the app, we also included ways for people to easily make a donation to the charity by linking through to www.barnardos.ie ” said Mr Kavanagh. “We’re hopeful that the app will enable Barnardos to raise much needed funds to support their work and continue their services for children and families.”
Figures released in March 2010 showed that Ireland has 250,000 iPhone users while global statistics show iPhone users download an average eight apps per month. These downloads can range from practical services such as weather forecast, alarm clocks to seasonal novelty items and games! Of the apps currently available prices range from free to hundreds of euro! However the trick for developers is to create an app that people will access time and time again. “The Barnardos app will be regularly updated,” said Mr Kavanagh. “We plan to continually develop the app and add more and more useful information. It’s important to us that users know they have a helpful resource in their pockets that is reliable, informative and a trusted friend.”
“We’d like to thank Warren Kavanagh and everyone at Magictime Apps for their enthusiasm, creativity and perseverance in making this happen for Barnardos,” said Ms Guy. “It’s fantastic for us to be able to reach out and support people via their mobile phone.”
ENDS