Over The Wall
Transforming the lives of children with serious health conditions
Some 50,000 children in the UK live with a health condition severe enough to substantially limit their daily life. Chronic conditions, requiring complex medical care, trips to hospital and invasive treatment place significant constraints on their daily life and can affect development, with repercussions for siblings and parents too.
Over The Wall provides free residential summer camps for children and their families coping with serious illnesses and conditions. Its transformational programmes aim to improve their quality of life by exciting, inspiring and empowering children to regain their sense of optimism and possibility.
Since 2010 the annual number of campers has increased from 260 to 867 in 2018, with plans to reach 1,500 by 2022. Volunteer numbers have increased from 339 to 651 over the same period and almost half have a medical condition. Almost a fifth are from a BAME background. While their commitment is exceptional, with many returning year after year, not everyone can attend camp for six days so the new concept of day volunteers has been introduced.
Condition-specific camps have been developed to respond to need in areas including severe allergies/anaphylaxis, Crohn’s and Colitis, and rare genetic disorders.
Numerous positive comments from parents and children clearly illustrate the impact the charity has had. “Without the camp, my daughter would not be in the same mental state she is in now. Each time she has been she has come back stronger/happier/braver/more positive and less scared.”
Awards judge Su Sayer said the charity offered a vital lifeline to parents as well as a fantastic experience for the children. Martin Edwards said: “It’s a very good project and Ofsted have rated them outstanding, which is hard to come by.”
CC reg no: 1075361
