Barnardos Annual Review 2012: 50 Years Working with Children and Families

2012 marked Barnardos fiftieth year working with children and families in Ireland. From our beginnings as a small organisation working in Dublin and the border counties in 1962, Barnardos has grown to become the largest children’s charity in Ireland. We now work in 40 centres across the country with more than 6,300 children and families. It has taken many people to make Barnardos what it is today - those who have worked directly with children and families in communities across Ireland and the teams who have supported them, our volunteers who have helped out in so many ways, and the board members who have always given of their time freely to guide and advise us. Without them Barnardos would be nothing. We also couldn’t have done it without the support of the general public – be it from individuals, companies, trusts or philanthropies. But as we reflect on reaching a milestone, we must unfortunately acknowledge that 2012 was a year in which Barnardos was needed more than ever in our fifty year history. Child poverty is on the increase, while public spending is repeatedly cut year after year. In these difficult times we must continue to keep our doors open for those who need us most – that is the reason why Barnardos exists. During our fiftieth year we have had to make some hard decisions, but Barnardos is still here and will continue to be so. The Referendum for children’s rights in November 2012 marked a turning point in Irish society. By voting yes, we as a nation have chosen to protect our children and ensure that their rights and needs are paramount in our constitution. If we can ensure that we now act on those principles we will hopefully see an Ireland in fifty years time where Barnardos is no longer required – an Ireland where all children are cherished equally and a time when Ireland is the best place in the world to be a child! That is our vision.

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