- Barberstown Castle raised €16,000 through its sunflower field.
- Sensational Kids and Women’s Aid each received €8,000.
- The initiative took place during August.
- Visitors made voluntary donations with no fixed admission charge.
- The field covered three acres of the estate
Barberstown Castle in Straffan, Co Kildare has raised €16,000 through its sunflower field initiative for Sensational Kids and Women’s Aid. The funds will be divided equally between the two charities with each receiving €8,000. Thousands of sunflowers transformed three acres of the historic estate during August.
Visitors made voluntary donations while visiting the sunflower field. The initiative captured public imagination with families, couples, children and photography enthusiasts attending. There was no fixed admission charge with visitors invited to donate whatever they could afford.
Sensational Kids provides subsidised therapy and assessment services for children and adolescents and has supported more than 10,000 children since 2007. Women’s Aid works to prevent and address domestic violence and abuse. The castle has also supported The Bumblebee 1000 in aid of Little Blue Heroes and the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.Amanda Torrens shared “We have been absolutely blown away by the response and, most importantly, by the generosity of everyone who came to visit. It was wonderful to see so many families and visitors enjoying the sunflowers, taking photographs and making memories.”
Sheila Zebedee shared “We are so grateful to the team at Barberstown who have generously helped us to raise much needed funds for our organisation. We are an Irish national charity and non-profit social enterprise that provides affordable, timely therapy and developmental support for children and adolescents with additional needs.”
Emma Greally shared “Every cent we raise helps prevents domestic abuse and provides essential support, resources, and advocacy for women and children affected by abuse. The demand for our services is on the rise and we need to continue to fund raise to ensure we can help deliver essential services for the women and children who need our help.”
