Supporter Update – January 2024
Thank you for being there for Bobby
Before Christmas we told you about a little boy called Bobby, who was facing a cold, hungry, lonely Christmas.
But thankfully, you and many more of our incredibly kind donors have once again answered our call for help, and families like Bobby’s were able to enjoy the happy Christmas everyone deserves.
When Bobby walked into the Breakfast Club just before Christmas, all had been made cheery and festive by our wonderful Barnardos project workers. Santa made an appearance, and every child there received a little treat!
Thanks to the assistance and advice she received from their project worker, Bobby’s mam Anita was able to manage financially throughout December. She and Bobby enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner and there were presents under the Christmas tree.
Bobby is also receiving the emotional support he needs. He is learning to understand and process all these big feelings and is making great progress.
Thanks to your generosity, we will be here for Bobby and Anita for as long as they need us to be. And for many more children and families all over Ireland.
A sneak peek inside our centres!
Our Barnardos centres are such a special place for the children and parents who attend our services. A safe place where they can find kindness, support, advice, a place where children can be children again, when life hasn’t been kind to them. Here are a few photos from some of these special places!
Soft colours, peaceful artwork, candles and comfy cushions have a calming, soothing effect on children and their parents – a perfect place to come to when life is a little too overwhelming.
Children love the tipi! It’s a cosy place to go to when they need a quiet moment to themselves.
On a cold day, the children can use these cute water bottles to cosy up for story time. And then they get to take theirs home with them!
The room is all set up for parent’s group, where parents can share their experiences, questions and concerns with other parents and Barnardos staff, then learn useful parenting skills depending on the topic of that day.
And of course there are lots of games for children to have a fun time and make friends!
James’ happy space
James, seven, has been attending one of our Barnardos centres. One day, Barnardos project worker Moira found him staring at a picture on the wall of one of the rooms. It was a photo of two horses. James said to Moira that he really liked this picture. Moira used feelings cards with James to help him identify how the image made him feel. It made him feel calm, and happy.
Later on, they walked through the Barnardos centre together looking at the various pictures on the walls, and James would try to identify how each made him feel. Whenever he feels sad or overwhelmed, James goes back to the picture of the horses and looks at it for a while. It really helps.
We thought this was such a powerful and uplifting image. This little boy who has experienced trauma way too early in his life, finding a bit of peace in one of our centres, and learning to know himself better. So, we really wanted to share it with you – as none of this would be possible without your support.
While Bobby’s and James’ stories are true, We have changed all names and some other details in order to protect the family’s identity. Photos used are models.