Lisburn Estate to Host Annual Christmas Fair in Support of Local Charity
By [Author Name]
Lisburn, Northern Ireland – The Larchfield Estate in Lisburn will once again be hosting the popular annual event, Christmas in the Barn, on 4th and 5th November. Organized by Lucinda Kinnaird, the fair brings together local artisans and attracts visitors from miles around. This year’s event will also raise funds for the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs (DSM) Foundation, a charity dedicated to drug education in Northern Ireland.
The DSM Foundation has been selected as the chosen charity for this year’s Christmas in the Barn. The funds raised from the fair will go towards funding a new production of their powerful verbatim play, ‘I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’, written by Mark Wheeller. The play tells the true story of sixteen-year-old Dan Spargo-Mabbs, who tragically lost his life to MDMA. His parents, Fiona and Tim Spargo-Mabbs, have since dedicated their lives to preventing similar tragedies from happening to other families.
The DSM Foundation has commissioned Ballymena and Coleraine-based educational theatre company, Ever Unique Productions, to create a new production of the play for schools in Northern Ireland. This production has already had a profound impact on the youth theatre members who performed it in 2023, and the directors, Hannah Reilly and Martina McAfee, are eager to bring it to more young people in the region.
Sandra Larmour, mother of Jeni Larmour who tragically passed away from ketamine in 2020, has been working closely with Fiona Spargo-Mabbs to promote and support the work of the DSM Foundation. Both mothers are determined to prevent harm from drugs and alcohol to other young people in Northern Ireland. They have enlisted the support of PCSPs and other public bodies in their cause.
The Christmas in the Barn fair will also be attended by Minister for Education Paul Givan of the DUP and Michelle Guy of the Alliance Party, both MLAs for Lagan Valley. They will have the opportunity to speak with Fiona and Sandra, and learn more about their stories and the work of the charity.
Sandra Larmour, said, “Whilst I will never condone drug use, I fully support and endorse this important work that Fiona and her team are doing in educating and supporting school children, giving them insight and knowledge that can only be of benefit to them in making future choices.”
Sarah Mackie, co-owner of the Larchfield Estate, added, “As parents, we feel the need to equip our children with the knowledge to make informed decisions as they grow up. When I came across Fiona’s book ‘I Wish I’d Known’, the tragedy of Dan’s death resonated, and we hope that the funds raised by the 2024 Larchfield Christmas Fair will raise awareness about the essential need for drugs education in schools and springboard funding to be able to deliver this to help protect children across the region.”
Martina McAfee, co-founder and co-director of Ever Unique Productions, said, “Getting to perform the Irish premiere of the play was something our young people welcomed with open arms. They truly became invested in telling Dan’s story. Additionally, all the drug education workshops we did around the play inspired them to be more open and honest with their peers and parents about the topic of drugs. We knew as soon as our project was over that we weren’t ready to finish shouting about Dan. He had found a place to live in our hearts, and he wasn’t going to be leaving anytime soon. We knew this story was not just one that needed to be heard by our young people, but indeed, all young people across Northern Ireland.”
Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE, DSM Foundation Director, Founder, and Dan’s mother, said, “We’re so excited to have this opportunity to bring this new production of our play to schools across Northern Ireland and so heartened by the warm response we’ve received as we explore the potential for our wider drug education program to support the work going on to equip young people in Northern Ireland to manage decisions about drugs and alcohol more safely. Sandra and I stand together as two mums who share the lived experience of that going badly wrong for our children, determined to do what we can to protect others better.”
The Christmas in the Barn fair will be held on Monday, 4th November from 10am – 8pm and Tuesday, 5th November from 10am – 5pm. The fair is open to all and will be held at the Larchfield Estate. All proceeds will go towards funding the DSM Foundation’s first productions in Northern Ireland schools. Visitors are welcome to meet Fiona Spargo-Mabbs at the DSM Foundation stand in the Piggery.
The DSM Foundation/Ever Unique Productions ‘