Tommy Bowe, Nathan Carter and Marissa Callaghan new ambassadors for Children to Lapland Trust charity

The three top NI personalities will support the local charity’s drive to give children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions experiences to remember.

The stars join existing NICLT president and television broadcaster, Gerry Kelly, to make a quartet of high profile faces to champion the charity as it embarks on its Three Steps to Christmas Campaign for a second year.

The campaign was launched last year as the charity’s usual annual Lapland trip with 100 local children with life threatening or life limiting conditions had to be cancelled because of the pandemic.

Instead, the charity raised funds to give 100 local children, who were nominated by the paediatric departments and hospitals in NI, a new experience, including a detailed personal letter from Santa, a video from the man himself from his grotto in Lapland, a visit from Santa and his elves as well as a gift to the value of £200, all received in the safety of their own homes.

The campaign also sees siblings of those affected by illness and/or disability receive smaller gifts.

The initiative will be broadened this Christmas to include children who attend the NI Children’s Hospice. Gifts of sensory equipment will also be sent to the Hospice and to each of the eight Special Paediatric Units across Northern Ireland.

The three new ambassadors will support NI Children to Lapland and Days to Remember Trust’s drive to raise funds for the children it supports, not just this Christmas but all year round.

The Northern Ireland Children to Lapland Trust was founded in 2008 by Larne man, Jack Rodgers.

It aims to give terminally ill, life-limited and deserving children the trip of a lifetime to meet Santa Claus, at his home in Lapland, in the run-up to Christmas.

In 2014, the group widened the scope of its charitable status to incorporate Days to Remember, allowing them to take trips to places other than Lapland.

'Immeasurable benefits' for charity

Welcoming Tommy Bowe, Nathan Carter and Marissa Callaghan onboard, NICLT chair Colin Barkley, said: “We are delighted to have three such high profile personalities join us in our mission to make a difference to the lives of children who need it most.

“Having a well-known face help front a charity gives it tremendous reach and piques interest from potential supporters. Acting as an ambassador for us will produce immeasurable benefits for the charity.

“Tommy, Nathan and Marissa are big stars in their respective domains and command attention for their admirable talents rightfully so, so to allow us to share some of their limelight and help spread the word of the work NICLT does and help drive forward our campaign is fantastic, especially as we begin our Three Steps to Christmas Campaign.

“This year the drive will need more support given we are expanding its reach to include eight paediatric units across Northern Ireland. Each of those units and the NI Children’s Hospice will receive sensory toys and equipment which best suit their needs, and at a cost from £800 to £1100. The campaign will also be supported by a host of corporate sponsors, each of which will sponsor a specific unit.”

Speaking about this role as ambassador for NICLT, Tommy Bowe, the former Ulster, Ireland and British and Irish Lions rugby star, who has since retirement forged a highly successful new career as a broadcaster and presenter, said: “As soon as I heard about the work of the NI Children to Lapland Trust, I was blown away and was delighted to be asked to get involved. Last year, I was lucky enough to deliver some toys and to see the joy on the faces of the young people was a really humbling experience. As a father of two young children myself, I can’t imagine what the families are going through.”

Nathan Carter, Ireland’s leading country singer, with no fewer than five number one albums, said: “The work the NI Children to Lapland Trust does is amazing and it is an absolute honour to become one of its Ambassadors. I hope that my profile can help to spread the word of that incredible work to people who maybe aren’t aware of all that they do. Helping to deliver some presents last year was certainly one of the highlights of my Christmas.”

Marissa Callaghan as captain has been to the fore in helping NI Women’s Football team qualify for the 2022 European Championships and is a Girl’s Participation Officer with the IFA. Marissa adds:

“In May of this year, Josh Eastwood from Donaghadee ran a marathon every day to raise funds for the NI Children to Lapland Trust and Cancer Research. I was asked to run with him one day for some moral support and that’s when I first learned about the work the charity does and met the people involved. After that I just wanted to do more for what is a very special charity and I am really looking forward to helping deliver some presents this year.”

Thanks for support

The charity’s President Gerry Kelly adds: “We would like to thank all those who continue to raise funds for us and donate during this challenging time.

“We receive no Government or Lottery funding and everything we do is entirely self-funded, relying on the generosity of individuals and companies across NI. We count ourselves very fortunate to have our fund-raising teams in Carrickfergus, North Down and the North Coast and our Corporate Partners, The Bushmills Inn, Glens of Antrim Potatoes, C-Tec (NI) in Newry, Hagan Homes, Wineflair, Barclay Communications, CosyRoof and Bells Crossgar Motors by our side.”

“Their ongoing support once again this year, allows us to start making even more ambitious plans for 2022, which, if circumstances allow, we hope will include taking an even larger group than originally anticipated to Disneyland in Paris as well as our annual trip to Lapland.”

To find out more about the charity, visit https://www.niclt.org/ or follow on Facebook @childrentolaplandtrust