YOUNGSTERS with serious illnesses have enjoyed games, art and craft, archery, talent shows and discos at a unique camp in Blandford.

Over the Wall hosts free residential experiences to families at Bryanston School to allow them to spend quality time together. The charity also hosted a Dorset camp specifically for the siblings of children with serious illnesses.

This year marks the 20th year that the charity has been running the camps, having originally been founded by the Hollywood legend, Paul Newman in 1999. To mark the 20th year, the charity is aiming to break its records for the number of campers it caters for.

The camp is run by Over The Wall staff and a number of volunteers, many of which are local. Medical volunteers are also involved to ensure that that medical assistance and supervision is available 24 hours a day.

Over The Wall’s camps cater for as many as 130 different conditions providing life-changing, memorable experiences for children with illnesses and diseases including cancer and leukaemia, blood disorders, gastrointestinal disorders (such as Crohn’s or liver disease), skin conditions such as severe eczema, severe allergies, heart conditions, kidney disease, other neurological disorders and much more.

Kevin Mathieson, Over The Wall chief executive, said: “The illness of a child can often mean that spending time together as a family can be difficult. It can also mean that brothers and sisters of a child with illness adopt a caring role, which means they too can miss out on parts of their childhood. At Over The Wall we provide memorable camp experiences- not only for the children who have serious illnesses – but for all members of the family affected.” 

A week-long camp at Bryanston School specifically for the children with serious illness, aged eight to 17, is also planned for August.

If you are interested in volunteering at a camp – in either a residential or daytime role- or if you have, or know of a child, or family that would benefit from Over The Wall’s camps – you can find out more on the Over The Wall website otw.org.uk  or by calling 02392 477110.