On Sunday 1st December a fantastic event is planned to raise some much needed funds for two great charities, Bumbleance, Ireland's Children's Ambulance Service and the Little Blue Heroes Foundation. We asking for your support for a charity Light Up for Christmas Drive By taking place in Carnmore on Sun Dec 1st. You can register a vehicle to take part for just €30 and you can drop down to the event and help out with a donation, or donate on line. Garry Curran on Big Bay Breakfast is delighted to support this great effort. Tune in to Big Bay Breakfast each morning this week to learn more and for your chance to win a Smyths Toys voucher.
BUMBLEance, Ireland’s Children’s Ambulance Service.
This is the world’s first ambulance service specifically designed and tailored for children.
BUMBLEance is the Children’s Ambulance Service of Ireland. Traveling half a million kilometres each year across our 15 vehicles, it provide safe and comfortable transportation for Ireland’s youngest patients as they travel between their homes and hospitals, hospices, treatment centres and respite centres nationwide. At BUMBLEance, the team know how stressful it is to transport a sick child, which is why they’re with their families every step of the way.
The BUMBLEance service is the first of its kind in the world. It has all the amenities of a regular ambulance, but includes the all-important extras to make a sick child’s journey as safe, comfortable and entertaining as possible. Their aim is to distract, comfort and entertain Ireland’s youngest patients as they travel to and from hospitals and paediatric treatment centres nationwide. BUMBLEance exists because there is no alternative.
Happy Journeys : BUMBLEance provides children with less stressful journeys in safe, fun and comfortable vehicles. The bright and cheerful exterior, which makes a great first impression, is only just the beginning!
Unique Interior: BUMBLEance has room for two parents/carers to travel with the child and paramedic. There is also an on-board locker for personal items, and a fridge for medication, food and drinks.
Fun & Games: BUMBLEance has it all – Playstations, WiFi, Netflix, DVDs, Games, Books, Colouring, Sensory Lighting, Netflix, Apple TV, Music and much more!
Expert Personnel: Bumbleance operate two key services: one service is operated by the National Ambulance Service and manned by EMTs, the other is a driver-only service designed for children who do not need constant medical intervention.
Little Blue Heroes Foundation, established in 2017, is a not-for-profit registered charity voluntarily led by Garda members, retired Garda members and civic minded people from communities. The charity employs one person from the community to operate the day to day administration of the charity.
It's run independent of An Garda Síochána, and is funded entirely by donations and fundraising - the foundation receives no money from state funding or directly from An Garda Síochána.
VISION & MISSION
Little Blue Heroes Foundation’s vision is to support families of children with serious illnesses in Ireland while empowering the lives of children through positive community engagement. Their mission is to provide practical and financial support to families of children who have serious illnesses in Ireland while granting the wish of the children they support to become Honorary Gardaí to empower the child and foster positive engagement with An Garda Síochána.
Some of the many services Little Blue Heroes provide sick Children and their famileis are:
Financial Support: Little Blue Heroes provide financial aid to support the families of Little Blue Heroes subject to available funding. Application for support must meet a beneficiary criteria. There is an application process involved to apply for financial aid.
Honorary Garda: Little Blue Heroes grant the wish of the children it supports (under our criteria) to become Honorary Gardaí and provide Garda themed distraction toys and children’s events (e.g. Honorary Garda Graduation Day) for their Little Blue Heroes.
HAVEN 4 HEROES: Our Haven 4 Heroes programme brings families Little Blue Heroes support on holidays in Ireland who wouldn't normally get a chance to go away, due to the severity of the child’s illness or due to financial limitations.
Hospital Visits: Where possible Little Blue Heroes buddy up members of An Garda Síochána with their local Little Blue Heroes who visit the children in hospital and provide support and a friendly chat for the children and their families. This also lets the children know they are not alone on their road through treatment.
Support Little Blue Heroes DONATE HERE
