What is Barretstown?
Barretstown was founded in 1994 by the actor Paul Newman. It runs camps and programmes that help children and families cope with the emotional and social side of serious illness, giving them time away from hospitals and treatment.
It is Ireland’s leading provider of this kind of support. More than 175,000 young people have taken part in its programmes, which have generated over €2.2 billion in social value.
How does Citroen Ireland help Barretstown?
Since 2022, Citroen Ireland has given the charity practical transport support.
The vehicles bring children, families and volunteers to camp. They also help the Barretstown team take its work out into communities, and they support the maintenance crew who look after the 500-acre campus.
Thousands of seriously ill children, young people and their families have benefited so far.
Which Citroen models are in the Barretstown fleet?
The two newest arrivals are a Berlingo and a Relay. They join a fleet that includes a wheelchair-accessible e-Berlingo, a nine-seat e-Spacetourer and an e-C4, which the charity has used since the early days of the partnership.
Why does transport matter to families living with serious illness?
For a family already dealing with hospital visits and treatment, simply getting to camp can be one more source of stress.
Dee Ahearn, CEO of Barretstown, said: “For a family living with serious illness, getting to camp should be one less thing to worry about. Citroën’s support helps us turn that journey into an opportunity for children, young people and their families to step away from the pressures of illness and experience the connection and encouragement our programmes offer. From bringing families and volunteers to camp to supporting our outreach work and caring for our campus, this partnership makes a practical difference every day. We appreciate Citroën’s continued support and look forward to building on our partnership for the benefit of the people we serve at Barretstown.”
What does Citroen say about the partnership?
Colin Sheridan, Managing Director of Citroen Ireland, said, “For us, this partnership is about more than providing vehicles. It is about what those vehicles make possible: a family reaching camp, a volunteer getting there to help, or the Barretstown team taking its support beyond the campus. Since 2022, we have been proud to play a part in that work. Expanding the fleet to six vehicles, alongside our ongoing fundraising, is a practical way to deepen our commitment and help restore the lives of more children, young people and families across Ireland.”
Is Citroen doing anything else to support Barretstown?
Yes. As well as supplying vehicles, Citroen Ireland will keep raising money for the charity through a range of fundraising events and initiatives.
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