A Christmas Fair event, supported by the mum of tragic Newtownhamilton student Jeni Larmour, has raised almost £24,000 to fund a powerful play that highlights the risks of drugs to schools across Northern Ireland.
In November, the Larchfield Estate in Lisburn hosted their annual Christmas in the Barn, and this year it raised £23,938.28 for drug education charity the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs (DSM) Foundation.
This 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.
All of this is being promoted and supported by Sandra Larmour from Co. Armagh, who was delighted to receive a cheque on behalf of the DSM Foundation from the Christmas in the Barn team, Lucinda Kinnaird and Sarah Mackie.
Sandra’s 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, as fellow bereaved mums both determined to prevent the harm that happened to their own children happening to anyone else’s.
The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs (DSM) Foundation, is a drug and alcohol education charity that aims to help young people in making responsible choices.
It was set up in 2014 by Fiona after her son Dan died after taking ecstasy.
‘I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’ is a verbatim play that 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 the 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.
Jeni Larmour
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.
The incredibly positive response of schools to the offer of performances for pupils has seen the tour rapidly booked out, with additional days needing to be added to meet demand.
Sandra Larmour commented: “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.”
Fiona Spargo-Mabbs added: “We’re delighted that Larchfield’s event has raised such a fantastic sum, which will cover much of the costs of bringing this new production of our play to schools across Northern Ireland.
“We’re also bowled over by the incredibly positive response from schools – the tour has booked up more rapidly than we’ve ever experienced with any of our previous tours elsewhere. This is a great encouragement as we explore the potential for our wider drug education programme to equip young people in Northern Ireland to manage decisions about drugs and alcohol more safely.
“In all of this, Sandra and I remain united and committed to do what we can, as two bereaved mums, to keep other young people safe from harm.”
A showcase performance of the production will take place on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, from 1.15pm to 4.30pm in Portadown Town Hall.
A community performance will be held on the same date from 7pm to 8.30pm, open to all families and community youth organisations.
Donations to help with the remaining costs of the tour can be made here.
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