Meet the charity that helps kids rediscover the magic of childhood

In the latest edition of Marketing Derby’s Innovate Magazine we profile Over The Wall Camp – a charity which helps kids with long-term health conditions rediscover their childhood.

Founded in 1999 by the late Oscar winning actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and businessman Joe Woods, the charity addresses the psychosocial impact of living with long-term health conditions.

Based on the insight that more than one in 10 children in the UK can be denied a carefree childhood as a result of long-term health conditions, Over The Wall Camp empowers children and their families to explore beyond the perceived limitations of illness and rediscover the magic of childhood.

Recently, it secured a 40-year lease for the former Ockbrook School just outside Derby, which will become the charity’s national headquarters and the UK’s first permanent site for residential camps for seriously ill children.

The new location will allow the charity to quadruple the number of residential beneficiaries annually to over 3,000, which will include supporting thousands of local children, such as those receiving care at the Royal Derby Hospital.

Innovate caught up with Kevin Mathieson, Over The Wall Camp’s chief executive, to find out more about this remarkable charity.

“There’s more than one-in-ten kids in the UK living with a chronic, serious illness and that number is increasing because more children are surviving now through treatment,” he tells Innovate.

“But the thing you’ll find when you speak to families is that whilst they are happy with the way that the illness is being treated by the NHS, what they can’t treat is the isolation and the loneliness that these kids feel because they’re missing out on childhood, missing out on school and missing out on the chance to participate in fun activities with their friends.

“And that sense of isolation and loneliness can lead to low self-confidence, low self-esteem and depression, and parents tell us they feel overwhelmed and powerless watching their children become increasingly withdrawn.”

Over The Wall Camp is the only UK charity providing free of charge residential activity camps specifically designed to address the psychological impact of living with a serious, long-term health condition.

The camp is based on a model created by Newman in 1988 in Connecticut, aimed at empowering children and their families to rediscover the magic of childhood, and, in his words, “kick back and raise a little hell”.

During the last quarter of a century, Over The Wall has provided magical experiences for up to 1,000 youngsters a year, using the facilities of private schools and activity centres across the UK, and – supported by an expert team of paediatric clinical professionals – is able to accommodate children living with more than 130 different illnesses and conditions.

However, the charity is in the process of creating a permanent base at Ockbrook School, with the work done over a number of phases.

And with the ongoing support of the local community, Kevin is confident that soon the site will be welcoming its first children.

He told Innovate: ““It’s been absolutely phenomenal. The team at Marketing Derbyo has been just brilliant.

“We’ve had around 250 people attend information events at the school, many of whom are really happy that kids are going to be back on this site, we’ve opened up use of some of the facilities to local groups and sports clubs, and we’re engaged with businesses who are interested in having a charity as part of their environmental, social and governance activity because we can offer things like carbon offsetting and volunteering opportunities.”

To read the feature in full visit https://heyzine.com/flip-book/4f1b03a082.html#page/36.