This year their chosen charity is drug education charity the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs (DSM) Foundation, and the money raised by the fair will enable the charity to fund a new production of their powerful commissioned verbatim play, ‘I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’ by Mark Wheeller, which will tour schools across Northern Ireland for two weeks in Spring 2025.
This verbatim play tells the true story of the joyful life and tragic death from MDMA of sixteen-year-old Dan Spargo-Mabbs, whose loss left his parents with a passionate commitment to prevent any harm happening to anyone else’s child, and led them to start a drug education charity in his name. Ten years on they are now well established across England, growing rapidly and successfully across Scotland, but not yet working in Northern Ireland. This year’s Christmas in the Barn intends to change this.
The DSM Foundation has commissioned Ballymena and Coleraine-based educational theatre company, Ever Unique Productions, to create a new production for Northern Ireland schools, based on the highly successful production their two youth theatres performed in 2023. The play had such a profound impact on their young cast members, as well as their audiences, that Ever Unique Productions co-founders and co-directors Hannah Reilly and Martina McAfee, were keen to bring it to more young people in Northern Ireland.
All of this is being promoted and supported by Sandra Larmour from County Armagh, whose daughter Jeni sadly died when she was 18 on her first day at Newcastle University having taken ketamine.
Sandra has been working closely with Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, Director and Founder of the DSM Foundation and Dan’s mum, as fellow bereaved mums both determined to prevent the harm that happened to their own children happening to anyone else’s. They have engaged the support of PCSPs across the country, and other public bodies.
Also attending Christmas in the Barn, to speak with Fiona and Sandra and find out more about their stories, hopes and plans, will be Minister for Education Paul Givan of the DUP, and Michelle Guy of the Alliance Party, both MLAs for Lagan Valley.
Sandra Larmour, mum to Jeni 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, said: "As parents we feel the need to equip our children with the knowledge to make informed decisions in the life choices they'll make 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 funds raised by the 2024 Larchfield Christmas Fair will raise awareness of the sadly essential need for drugs education in schools in Northern Ireland, and springboard funding to be able to deliver this to help protect children across the region."
Martina McAfee, Ever Unique Productions co-founder and co-director said: “Getting to perform the Irish premier 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 wasn't 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 mum 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 programme 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.”
Christmas in the Barn takes place Monday 4th November 10am – 8pm, Tuesday 5th November 10am – 5pm.
The fair's open to all, set within the lovely Estate of Larchfield (by kind permission of Gavin and Sarah Mackie) and all in aid of charity. The organiser Lucinda Kinnaird is really excited that proceeds this year will be funding the first productions in Northern Ireland schools by DSM Foundation. The DSM Foundation team will be in attendance, and Fiona Spargo-Mabbs welcomes visitors to come and meet her at the DSM Foundation stand in the Piggery.
DSM Foundation/ Ever Unique Productions ‘I Love You, Mum’ NI tour dates: Monday 24th February to Friday 7th March 2025
Showcase performance: Tuesday 4th March 2025 Portadown Town Hall (afternoon – times tbc)
For more information about the DSM Foundation, go to https://www.dsmfoundation.org.uk.