What We Do
The Northern Ireland ClownDoctors bring smiles, laughter and fun to children and young people undergoing medical treatment in hospitals and other health care settings.
A stay in hospital can be an anxious time for a child or a young person and also their families. Laughter and play has long been recognised as a great help for young patients. And nothing relaxes a family more than seeing their child laugh and smile.
The Northern Ireland ClownDoctors is a team of carefully chosen, professional performers who are specially trained to work in hospitals. The ClownDoctors are a part of the team of care, working with medical staff, hospital play specialists and family members.
The ClownDoctors help create fun, laughter, play, communication, and creativity on the wards. They visit children who are chronically and acutely ill, and who are hospitalised on a long-term or repeat basis; children who are in hospice care; children and young people with severe or profound disabilities; and those who are life-limited.
Colourful characters such as Doctor Sparky and Doctor Clooless visit children from bedside to bedside providing opportunities for play. On the day they visit, children in wards are often seen waiting at the door for the ClownDoctors to arrive. It is not unknown to see families and medical staff waving scarves and joining in with a rendition of “Old Mac Donald had a farm!”
The team of ten ClownDoctors visit over 4,000 children and over 4,000 family members every year. Our vision is to brighten the lives of as many children as possible by providing more ClownDoctor visits in more children’s hospitals.
