A charity which supports the rehabilitation of children across Manchester and Merseyside who have suffered a serious burn injury has been backed by the Steve Morgan Foundation.

The Children’s Burns Foundation (CBF), which funds a programme of day and residential activities on a voluntary basis, has received an annual grant of £10,000 for the last three years to help specifically with three activity camps staged each year in the Lake District and North Yorkshire.

Jane Harris, Regional Grants Director with the Steve Morgan Foundation, attended one of the recent camps in Ghyll Head, Windermere.

Jane says:  “Following a burn injury many children have difficulty re-integrating into everyday life.

“They may have nightmares, disturbed sleep patterns or behaviour, struggle with schoolwork and suffer the breakdown of important friendships. 

“Additionally they have to endure being stared at, teasing and intrusive questions about their scars from other people.

“The CBF supports the rehabilitation of children who are recovering from both the physical and psychological trauma of a burn injury, as well as their families.

“The residential camps in the summer are for children who have been treated either at Manchester Children’s Hospital or Alder Hey in Liverpool, and are referred by the burn care team for extra rehabilitation support.

“The programme of activities is physically challenging with canoeing and kayaking, caving, hill climbing, arts and crafts and camp fires, all designed to improve self-confidence and psychological well-being. 

“Feedback from children and parents alike confirms that being with other children with burns helps them to develop coping strategies, make friends and build confidence. 

“And the qualified medical staff who run the camps provide informal mentoring, exploring different challenges that the children face on a daily basis, such as bullying, catching up at school, physical impairment and generally being different.”  

CBF’s programme is delivered with the help of partners from the Fire Service, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, play specialists and adult survivors of burns under the umbrella of Children’s Burns Camp.

In addition to the residential camps, family days and weekends are organised during the year at the Firefighters Jubilee Therapy Centre in Cumbria, where there is a mix of fun activities for the whole family plus workshops for parents and carers on stress following a burn injury, burn scarring and treatment.

A voluntary fundraising team hold an annual ball and sponsored events to contribute to the overall fundraising, and the CBF is also committed to  Improving  research into recovery and last year funds were raised to develop an on-line counselling service which is now being implemented.