25 Years of Over The Wall Camp
"The impact of camp doesn’t disappear once you grow up"
For 25 years, Over The Wall has been bringing the mischief and magic of childhood to seriously ill children and their families throughout the UK. Since then, we’ve welcomed over 18,000 campers, 5,000 volunteers, and supported over 130 different health conditions.
Due to advances in paediatric clinical care, the number of children living with a serious illness has increased significantly in that time– and it keeps growing.
Over The Wall in Numbers
Campers
Volunteers
Different health conditions
Founded in 1999 by actor Paul Newman
The heart of our camps is our campers
At the heart of our camps is our campers, and we’ve heard from thousands of children about how camp changed their lives.
Families like Drew’s were able to spend time together, trying new things and meeting people like them.
“Knowing that everybody there has been through something similar helps you let go of everything because you’re not worried about being judged. It helped us feel so much less alone.”
– Helen, Health Challenge Parent
We’ve helped campers like Sophia to see what they’re really made of, building skills for the future.
“It sounds cheesy but what I’ve learned from my camp experience is that anything’s possible! “
– Sophia, Health Challenge Camper alumnus and Volunteer
Young people like Len realised their illness didn’t define them, changing their outlook.
“Over The Wall teaches you that it’s all about ‘I can’, not ‘I can’t’. You push limits and break down barriers that you face in life. You’re more than just your illness and not just the sick kid.”
– Len, Health Challenge Camper
At a time when everyone was isolated, we brought together children like Charlotte, to connect and have a break.
“My friends from sibling camp know that we are all going through the same things, even though we might not discuss the details- as we don’t have to.”
– Charlotte, Sibling Camper
Siblings like Becca have escaped the daily pressures of home life at our camp and discovered their potential, shaping a whole future.
“Looking back now, I realise I didn’t get to be a typical teenager because of everything going on at home, but the way everyone cheered us on [at camp] made me feel like a normal kid again.”
– Becca, Sibling Camper alumnus and Volunteer
Serious Impact and Promising Futures
Our work has even been studied by the Yale School of Medicine, proving our impact.
In early 2024, we made our biggest move yet: signing the lease on a permanent site in the Midlands, where we can create a purpose-built camp to triple our capacity and help even more campers.
Over The Wall Camp's Future Home in Derby
We couldn’t have achieved any of this without our supporters
Will you donate £10 today to help seriously ill children and their families rediscover the magic of childhood, and make precious memories at our camps? Every £1 you give will be match-funded by friends of camp, who will give the same towards our new site.
When you donate, you’ll be offered the option to leave a message or a memory. Every message will be inscribed in a book of celebration, which will be kept at our new site.
