Featured organisation – “My Burns Club – Helping Children With Burn Injuries”
The Make Some Noise project, we feel, is a project which works to raise awareness of the need for a greater compassion to others, recognising that every person has a story that they may or may not wish to share and that everyone has a right to be supported emotionally and mentally.
There are many charities and foundations which provide much needed support in all its forms and we wish to help by raising awareness and try to Make Some Noise and promote these organisations with a wish to encourage much needed donations which fund the valuable work that they do.
As we approach November and fireworks begin to appear in the shops for celebrating Guy Fawkes “Bonfire Night” in the UK and in the run up to Christmas and the New Year, it’s perhaps timely to take a look at charities which help children who, for whatever reason, have suffered burns or scald injuries.
One such Charity is “My Burns Club”
http://www.burns-club.org.uk/ helping children with burn injuries and providing support for children with burns throughout North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Humberside.
As they state on their website
“Childhood can be difficult for any child, for a child who has suffered burns it can be a truly horrendous time. Our members often spend weeks or months in hospital after the initial burn, undergoing painful treatment, operations and procedures.
Dealing with the physical and medical issues are traumatic and painful, dealing with the aftermath can sometimes be much worse – unlike most other accidents, a serious burn can mean a non-stop cycle of hospital visits and stays throughout childhood.
Far worse, can be dealing with the trauma of being scarred for life, that’s where we come in!”
The aim of My Burns Club is to help “build confidence and friendships through fun days, events and camps. Providing emotional and practical support for the families of children with burns”
“Children who have suffered burns and scalds. Raising money to provide Burns Camps and respite care. Our Burns Camps provide invaluable support to the children and their families, giving them the chance to meet new friends going through exactly the same worries and concerns. Many of the children and families feel they’re facing a life of disfigurement alone; we put them in touch with other families and children going through the same traumas.
We provide help and support for children and families aged from birth to eighteen. Our camps run from 0-7 years, 7-13 years and 14 – 18 years, providing fun, safe, age appropriate activities – most of all we bring back a little bit of fun, hope for the future and friendship.
It is impossible to prepare for being scarred for life, when it happens your life is changed dramatically and forever we help both the children and their families to overcome the problems being burnt can bring. Low confidence, fear of being seen as different, fear of bullying and being scared of what the future holds are all common feelings among our members, and their parents we help them to come to terms with their new life and through the new friends they meet in My Burns Club assist them to find the courage and confidence to carry on. ”
The website is
http://www.burns-club.org.uk/From its “Frequently Asked Questions” section -
Q. What is the Burns Club?
A. A club for young people who have had major burn injuries and needed treatment at the Burns Centre. (http://www.burncentrecare.co.uk/)
Q. What is it for?
A. All sorts of things – to allow the young people to make new and meet old friends, have fun, share experiences, try new activities and adventures.
Q. Who can join?
A Children of all ages can take part in club activities, from birth to 18 years
Q. Who are the organisers?
A. My Burns Club has a committee made up of health professionals – nurses, occupational therapists, play specialists, plus others from outside the hospital who help with fund raising and organising activities.
Q. What are the Club activities?
A. There are two main types of activity. The first is one-day events such as fun days, picnics, trips and adventure activities. Many of these will include parents, family and friends so they can all meet, chat and do things together.
The second are the burns camps. The camps are very important part of the club programme, My Burns Club believe the benefits are considerable. It is also their biggest expenditure of the year, and what much of their fundraising is aimed at supporting.
My Burn Club Camps – The idea of having burn camps comes from North America, so the word ‘camp’ does not mean staying in tents! The camps are based in residential activity centres in various parts of the country with access to outdoor activities.
http://www.burncentrecare.co.uk/burncamp.htmlMy Burns Club states that the most important thing is to provide a secure environment where the young people can be themselves for a few days, away from some of the pressures which come from being ‘different’ and they provide many activities which are fun and exciting for all ages.
These range from quiet things like arts and crafts, painting, T-shirt printing to the more adventurous and offer personal challenges to all ages. Amongst the activities have been caving, climbing, canoeing, kart racing, horseback riding, high rope challenges and orienteering. In the evenings activities have been bowling, done flash-light trails, discos, and at the end of each camp the children have led a show or review, presented to the rest of the group.
The Camps have three main aims -
Aim number one
To introduce the members to other children who are going through the same problems.
Children who are scarred for life do not generally know any other child who is in the same position, it is enormously encouraging to understand they are not alone with their problems – other children suffer the same worries, difficulties and fears as them.
Aim number two
To begin to build confidence in trying new experiences.
After a child has suffered these injuries, the tendency is to hide away, stay out of the spotlight and simply stop doing thing, participating in sports and activities can mean either being watched playing sport or getting changed in front of others. The camps bring the members together who all have scars and they enjoy trying new activities together without fear of being stared at.
Aim number three.
To provide support for families of our members.
The parents, grandparents and siblings also need to come to terms with having a family member who is scarred for life, the camps provide respite care for parents to spend good quality time for other children, and an opportunity to meet other parents going through the same ordeal.
Q. Are there any other Burn Clubs?
A. There are other camps organised in this country, in Europe, and especially in North America. My Burns Club has close connections with other Burns Club around UK.
The work carried out at Burns Club is vital to the children and families they work with, it is funded purely by fundraising and donations.
You can support the Burns Club in many ways.
By donations, raising funds so that the Burns Club can help more children – and by raising awareness of the trauma suffered by children and their families.
Or by donating time, by sparing a few hours a month to help with admin work, freeing up precious time and allowing the Burns Club to help more children.
Links –
Twitter – @MyBurnsClub
Facebook –
https://www.facebook.com/MyBurnsClubSo, please donate if you can – the website is
http://www.burns-club.org.uk/There are other charity groups that provide help and support for children and adults who have sustained burn injuries. The groups work with healthcare professionals to promote awareness about what burn injuries can cause. The aim of these support groups is to re-build the confidence and self-esteem, to improve the body image and provide psychological support (coping strategies). More information can be found at the link for the Burn Centre
http://www.burncentrecare.co.ukAdditionally,
http://www.burncentrecare.co.uk/support.html has links to other support groups in the UK, Europe and the USA. Similar organisations exist elsewhere in the USA, Canada, please seek them out.
We do not accept donations but would encourage you to support the charities at the links they provide on their websites.