A Look Back at Burns Camp 2025: The power of your donations

In 2025, thanks to the generous support of those who donate to the Children’s Burns Foundation, dozens of young burn survivors were able to rediscover confidence, friendship and fun. Your support made a direct and life-changing impact - supporting 8 children to attend our residential Summer Camp and enabling 4 specialised pre-school activity sessions for families navigating life after a burn injury.

Summer Camp: A Week of Courage, Adventure and Connection

In July, 33 children aged 9–16 arrived at Ghyll Head Outdoor Centre in the Lake District - some excited, some nervous, all stepping into a week designed just for them. Supported by a team of 17 support staff including fire fighters, psychologists and volunteers, they spent their week enjoying canoeing, paddleboarding, climbing, ghyll scrambling, swimming and exploring the Coniston copper mines. Younger children enjoyed visiting animals and storytelling in the tipi, while everyone took part in zip lining, archery and the ropes course, ending the week at TreeTop Nets.

What the children told us:

“You can speak truthfully about your experience as others are more likely to understand

and share similar experiences.”

“It is the best experience to realise you’re the same person you are before your burns.”

Parents shared:

“Being around others that they have had similar injuries and knowing she’s not alone”

“Building his confidence that he can still do anything he wants to despite his burns”

Sarah Gaskell, Children’s Burns Foundation charity co-founder, said: “We started our camps in 1993 and we quickly realised that the camps formed a vital part of a child’s recovery. After a burn injury, young people face challenges that go well beyond the physical: rebuilding confidence, navigating difficult emotions, and learning to feel comfortable in their own skin again. At camp, they meet others who truly understand their experiences, form friendships rooted in shared strength and resilience, and discover that their scars do not limit who they can become. Supporting Burns Camp means giving children the space, the community, and the belief they need to heal fully - not just medically, but emotionally and socially.”

Pre-school Soft Play Sessions

For our youngest children, four soft-play sessions provided age-appropriate rehabilitation, movement, and a safe space for parents to connect. Families valued meeting others who had been through similar experiences and appreciated the support these sessions offered.

These sessions, run in collaboration with the City of Manchester Institute of Gymnastics in Gorton, Manchester, were designed to support young children with healed burn injuries using age and ability appropriate rehabilitation activities. Each session included a mix of instructor-led floor exercises and parent/carer supported activity using the soft play equipment. The foam pit and trampolines were the most popular items to play on. At the end of the session there was time for socialising and developing parent/carer peer support. Several families came to all four sessions and found value in the opportunity to meet others with similar experiences.

Your support helps children rebuild confidence, rediscover joy and realise their burns do not define them. On behalf of our campers, families and staff - thank you.