Insight Corporate Newsletter
Welcome from the Corporate Team
Welcome to the latest edition of Insight!
It has been a busy and wonderful year. We’ve hosted our brilliant Dragon Boat Festival, Bag Ladies, and Golf Day events, where we’ve met some familiar faces and lots of new ones – all sharing our passion to help and support the amazing children, young people and families being cared for by Alder Hey.
This issue we are celebrating some of the forward-thinking initiatives happening at Alder Hey such as our Parent champions and Mini Mouth Care Matters projects. We also shine a spotlight on our wonderful Alder Centre which supports bereaved parents across the country and sometimes globally too. A special thank you goes to Aldermore and guests at our Bag Ladies event who have supported the Alder Centre’s important work.
Alongside this you’ll find out more about some exciting products coming to an Iceland store near you! Look out for our fantastic ‘Little Explorers’ range in Iceland stores – these nutritious, family friendly meals were a hit with our young ambassadors, and we would love to hear from you if you’ve tried them!
And finally, we’d like to thank Caleb (our cover star) who returned this year for our first summer pjs campaign with Matalan. It was so lovely to hear an update on his journey and see how well he is doing.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us this year!
Parent Champions: Helping Children Breathe Easier
In Liverpool’s most disadvantaged communities, babies face a significantly higher risk of being hospitalised with bronchiolitis - a common but potentially serious respiratory illness in infants. At Alder Hey, we believe no child’s health should be defined by their postcode, so we’ve launched a pioneering outreach programme to change that reality.
At the heart of this programme are eight remarkable mothers: our Respiratory Parent Champions. Not only are they health advocates, but they are also trusted voices in their neighbourhoods, helping families understand how to keep their children well. Trained by expert clinicians from Alder Hey and partners such as Citizens Advice, Shelter, and breastfeeding charity BAMBIs, these champions are a vital community link between families and healthcare.
Based in children’s centres and visiting libraries, nurseries, and community events, the Parent Champions reached an incredible 14,400 families and expectant parents in 2024. Their work is already making a measurable difference: admissions to Alder Hey for bronchiolitis have dropped by 22%.
Their approach is simple but powerfulempowerment through education. Parent Champions provide clear, accessible guidance on preventing respiratory illness in young children. From recognising symptoms, to practical tips, the support they offer helps parents make informed, life-changing decisions for their families.
If we can change and inform parents, we can change our city - we can have healthier children living in better conditions.
- A Parent Champion
This programme shows how listening to communities, and supporting them with knowledge and compassion, can break cycles of poor health. It highlights the value of local voices in shaping healthier futures for children.
Our incredible Respiratory Parent Champions
At Alder Hey, we remain committed to reducing health inequalities and ensuring every child gets the healthiest start in life. Our Parent Champions prove that grassroots change is not only possible - it’s already happening.
The Parent Champions programme has been fully funded by Alder Hey Children’s Charity. To support similar preventative interventions, contact:
ellie.freestone@alderheycharity.org
Spotlight: A partnership of two Liverpool institutions
We shine a light on the incredible support we receive from one of our industry partners. This issue, we say thank you to: Casa Italia.
Since partnering in 2024, Casa Italia has been supporting Alder Hey through an optional £1 donation added to the bill for visitors to their restaurant. Originally opened in 1976, Casa Italia is iconic in Liverpool and has been bringing families together for decades. Since the start of the partnership, Casa Italia’s incredible customers have raised over £50,000 for Alder Hey.
One way this fundraising has helped some of the 450,000 children and young people who visit Alder Hey every year is through the purchase of two GripAbles. This specialist assessment and training aid is used to help our young people with impaired upper limb movement. The device uses sensors that can
detect when the patient squeezes or moves their wrist. The hospital team can create tailored treatment plans based on a patient's own specific goals. The device can be used at home, with progress tracked via a connected tablet, giving both patients and clinicians real-time insights.
Through interactive games on the GripAble platform, therapy becomes more engaging and fun. There is proven evidence that the gamification of physical rehabilitation has the ability to increase patient motivation and engagement which is critical to successful rehabilitation. Since having the devices our Community Physio team say the equipment ‘is a fun activity that
All of us here at Alder Hey Children’s Charity are so grateful for the support from Casa Italia and their customers. Every time a visitor chooses to support us by adding a pound on to their bill, they are also supporting our families at some of their most difficult times. We are so proud of our partnership with Casa ItaliaThank you!
Kaitlin, Corporate Partnerships Fundraiser
is beneficial for a patient's therapy, without them realising, as they just see this as a game!’.
While Casa Italia helps families who visit their restaurant to create amazing memories together, they, along with their wonderful customers, are also supporting the future of paediatric healthcare in Liverpool and beyond.
Casa Italia is currently supporting our Same Day Emergency Care Appeal, raising funds for an innovative new centre at Alder Hey. The Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) Centre will allow us to give priority support to children who need it most.
The new Centre will have a direct impact on reducing pressure on Alder Hey’s Emergency Department. Currently designed to see around 150 attendees every day, the Emergency Department can see up to 300 children and young people in the winter months – and 70% of these visits are for conditions that do not need emergency care in hospital. Community healthcare professionals will be able to directly refer children and young people to the new centre for a pre-arranged appointment, reducing the time spent waiting in hospital, and ensuring children are seen by the right clinician.
Being admitted to an Emergency Department can be an extremely upsetting experience for our young patients, and for younger children, it may represent their first-ever visit to an acute clinical setting. In this department, we see families at their most vulnerable, as they await a diagnosis for a child who may be in significant pain or distress
Bimal Mehta, Paediatric Emergency Medicine Consultant
Our new centre will bring together worldclass facilities and a transformative approach to emergency treatment and care. This will ensure that children are seen in the right place, at the right time, by the right clinician, and crucially that families can return safely home as soon as possible.
We are so grateful to Casa Italia and their customers for their continued support for our children, young people, and their families.
Casa Italia have also chosen to support Alder Hey through their Pasta with a Purpose events - special networking evenings at the restaurant, where good food meets a great cause. Featuring a raffle on the night, a presentation from an Alder Hey spokesperson, and stories from families who have received care at the hospital, the May event raised nearly £500.
Keep an eye out for the next Pasta with a Purpose event at Casa Italia – we hope to see you there.
The Alder
Centre
–dedicated to bereavement care and support
The Alder Centre is the first and only purposebuilt dedicated child bereavement centre in the UK. The centre provides free bereavement care to anyone affected by the death of a child of any age.
Established in 1989 as a partnership between professionals and bereaved parents, the centre was initially based in a repurposed room at our old hospital site. In 2021, the centre moved to its permanent home – an award-winning building with six counselling rooms, a holistic therapy room and peaceful walled gardens designed to provide a calming space for service users.
The Alder Centre offers a range of services, some of which are delivered by volunteers who have previously accessed support:
• Drop-in and group support
• Befriending
• Counselling – in person, video call or via telephone
• Therapeutic breaks with other bereaved families
• Complementary therapies
• Remembrance service at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
• Child Death Helpline
• Education and training for allied groups
The Alder Centre team is committed to increasing understanding and awareness of death as a part of healthcare. The centre’s vision is a healthier, happier and fairer future where those affected by the death of a child can achieve their full potential.
Child Death Helpline
The Child Death Helpline is a free telephone service open to anyone affected by the death of a child of any age - whether they are parents, grandparents, siblings, family members, friends or involved professionals.
The helpline is staffed by volunteers - all of them bereaved parents who are trained, supervised and supported by professional staff. This means that callers can speak in confidence with someone who has also experienced the death of a child.
“Research shows that peer support is the best thing we can offer in the immediacy of a loss. Our service provides a listening ear for people who understand the unique emotions involved. We often receive calls from people who are looking for ways to best support loved ones, it’s really important to be able to provide thorough advice and education to everyone affected by the death of a child.”
- Simon Riley, Head of The Alder Centre
www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk
Call free on 0800 282 986
Complementary Therapies
A key member of the Alder Centre team is Cheryl, a dedicated Complementary Therapist who is based in the centre’s specially designed holistic therapy room. Cheryl provides invaluable support to anybody using the centre, offering a range of treatments including reflexology, massage and acupuncture.
These therapies can be an alternative to traditional treatments or used alongside them to support physical and emotional health.
“Some people come in and aren’t sure what they need. It’s all about giving people the choice and the space to figure out what works for them”.
- Cheryl, Complementary Therapist at The Alder Centre. Together, Cheryl and her colleague, who share the role, provide tailored treatments to service users, seeing an average of 20 people per week between them.
Alder Hey Children’s Charity is proud to fund these amazing services with the help of our corporate partners. Turn over to read about some of our amazing events and partners who have supported the Alder Centre this year!
An Afternoon of Purpose – The Bag Ladies Event 2025
We are proud to share that this year, Sarah Robinson and Sadie Sharpes once again hosted their annual Bag Ladies Event at Oh Me Oh My in Liverpool. This special event, which has become a firm favourite in our diaries, saw 160 women in business come together from across the region for an Afternoon Tea and designer handbag auction, all in aid of Alder Hey Children’s Charity. Every year, Bag Ladies supports a different cause at Alder Hey. This year, all the money raised from the event went towards our very special Alder Centre and Child Death Helpline. These unique services both provide bereavement care and support for anyone affected by the loss of a child, at any age and at any time.
On the day, we were lucky to be joined by our amazing guest speakers Lisa McElroy, our Alder Centre’s Volunteer Coordinator and Alder Hey Ambassadors Emma and Jess Weaver, who shared their personal
story of what the Alder Centre means to them. We were also joined once again by our wonderful event host and auctioneer Kevin
Duffy from RSM.
Following the event, we are now delighted to share that this year Bag Ladies raised a record breaking £25,000! Thank you so much to everyone who help to make this possible. A special thank you to our Charity Champions and celebrity friends who donated some of their own preloved bags to our auction. We would also like to thank Mattioli Woods and Shawbrook Bank as well as our event founders Sarah and Sadie who make this event possible every year.
This year's Bag Ladies event was such a wonderful afternoon filled with love & fun and all in the name of raising funds for the Alder Centre. Each year it just gets better. This year we raised £25,000 which is a target we would not have considered when bag ladies was founded in 2020. The continued support we receive is beyond belief and without our amazing supporters who donate bags, raffle prizes, take tables and volunteer on the day, this event would not exist. Bring on 2026!
- Sarah Robinson and Sadie Sharples –Bag Ladies Founders.
Aldermore – Championing the Alder Centre
In 2024, Aldermore visited Alder Hey as part of a leadership event hosted in collaboration with Alder Hey’s Innovation Hub. During the visit, they spent time at the Alder Centre and had the opportunity to meet some of the team.
Following the visit Aldermore chose to fund our Complementary Therapist to support those navigating grief and loss. Previously, the service operated during limited hours throughout the week. Thanks to Aldermore’s funding, we were able to expand this to a full-time position, including weekends, more than doubling the number of sessions offered each week.
Aldermore’s commitment has continued throughout 2024 and into 2025, with the donation of a Ginkgo Balboa tree – also known as a Tree of Life - for the Alder Centre’s annual Light Up a Life ceremony. The service is held in remembrance of all children gone too soon, and included Christmas carols and readings, with members of the Aldermore team volunteering their time to help make the evening meaningful for all in attendance.
This year, Aldermore has chosen to support the Child Death Helpline. The service is the only one of its kind in the UK and has taken calls from as far as Canada – highlighting the great need for this kind of support.
Many of the services provided by The Alder Centre rely solely on charitable donations.
Members of the team during their visit to the Alder Centre to volunteer at our Light Up A Life ceremony.
We are incredibly proud to partner with Alder Hey and to support the life-changing services provided by The Alder Centre. Spending time with the team and seeing first-hand the impact of their work has been both humbling and inspiring. At Aldermore, we’re passionate about making a meaningful difference in the communities we serve, and it’s a privilege to help ensure these vital services can continue to support families through such difficult times.
Liz, Aldermore
We are incredibly grateful to Aldermore for their continued support of these essential services, which provide care and support to individuals following the most difficult of moments.
Our new stateof-the-art CT Scanner
Every second counts when a critically ill child comes to hospital. In these vital moments, receiving a swift and precise diagnosis is key.
CT Scanners are fundamental to our diagnostic capabilities here at Alder Hey, and that is why we have been raising nearly £1 million to purchase one of the most advanced models currently available. Alder Hey will be the first dedicated paediatric hospital in the world to have a Philips Spectral CT 7500 Pro Scanner. The scanner uses cutting-edge “spectral” technology – a new and exciting development in CT scanning that can significantly enhance patient experience, safety and diagnostic potential.
Our new CT scanner will be housed in our new Same Day Emergency Care Centre – set to open at the end of the year. This world-class technology will enable Alder Hey to perform scans that are:
• Faster: Scan times will be 15x faster, reducing from 5 minutes to under 20 seconds.
• Better: Cancer detection, for example, will be improved from 77% to 89%.
• Safer: Radiation exposure will be reduced by approximately 40%, helping to avoid harmful side-effects.
• Kinder: The new scanner reduces the need for sedation by 80% and is equipped with calming ambient lighting, audio and visual themes to help to soothe anxious patients.
Once again, Alder Hey will be leading the way in delivering the future of healthcare to children and their families, ensuring that we can continue to save as many young lives as possible.
Our annual Golf Day, sponsored by Braithwaite Group, was a sellout this year. Attendees helped to raise over £153,000, a significant contribution to our CT scanner appeal target. This will help to ensure that thousands of children will receive faster, safer and more accurate diagnoses without delay.
Harry's story
Harry was a fit, healthy little boy with no signs of illness - until his voice suddenly changed. At first, it seemed like a learning delay, especially with his education disrupted by the pandemic. Then one day Harry choked while eating, and his mum, Laura, knew something was seriously wrong. She rushed him to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where doctors discovered it was far more than a simple choking incident. Harry's condition deteriorated rapidly. An MRI revealed a brain tumour pressing on
critical areas affecting speech and swallowing. He developed pneumonia and was admitted to intensive care, where doctors prepared Laura for the worst.
Against expectations, surgeons removed over 90% of the tumour and Harry regained the ability to speak and swallow.
For nine months, his scans remained stable, but then the tumour returned. He was referred to The Christie in Manchester for proton beam therapy. Just before starting treatment, Harry’s dad tragically passed away. At only six years old, Harry endured six weeks of intensive therapy while coping with profound grief.
In early 2022, Harry underwent three surgeries to drain fluid from his brain. Now 10 years old, he continues to face health challenges, including a newly diagnosed metabolic condition. He has regular treatment at Alder Hey but remains full of humour and life. Known for teasing his doctors, he loves Everton, Marvel films, Fortnite and drawing comics. He's thriving in Year 5 with supportive friends.
scans are vital for monitoring his condition, but like many young patients, he requires general anaesthesia for each one - adding stress, risk, and recovery time.
New technology can change this for children like Harry. The new scanner will capture detailed images in under 20 seconds, eliminating the need for general anaesthetic for many children.
For Harry, this means less stress and faster detection of changes - leading to earlier intervention and better outcomes. With cutting-edge technology like the new CT scanner, children like Harry have greater hope for a brighter, healthier future.
Harry’s journey at Alder Hey shows the importance of advanced medical care. CT
Healthy Meals, Happy Families with Mumsnet and Iceland
Since launching earlier this year, Alder Hey Children’s Charity has been proud to team up with Mumsnet and Iceland Foods to create a new range of nutritious, family-friendly meals that help support the incredible work happening every day at Alder Hey.
The Little Explorers range was designed with busy families in mind, offering quick, wholesome meals for little ones, packed with hidden vegetables and free from added sugar, artificial ingredients, and preservatives. From comforting fish pie to classic spaghetti bolognese, these meals make dinnertime easier while also giving back.
To celebrate the launch, some of our amazing young ambassadors and Alder Hey staff were invited to a special taste-test session at Iceland's Development Kitchen. The children not only got to try the meals but also had fun exploring Iceland’s onsite exclusive store, scanning items at the checkout and helping stock the shelves.
Every pack sold donates 5p to Alder Hey Children’s Charity, and thanks to Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, those donations
are being matched up to £50,000. That means every meal purchased helps us continue to provide world-class care to children and young people.
Paul Dhaliwal, Chief Commercial Officer at Iceland Foods, shared:
We’re proud to be stocking the Mumsnet range and supporting Alder Hey through every sale. It’s part of our commitment to offering healthy, affordable choices for time-poor families.
Fiona Ashcroft, CEO of Alder Hey Children’s Charity, added: This partnership shows how small everyday choices, like what we put on the dinner table can have a big impact. Every meal helps fund life-saving equipment, pioneering research, and projects that make a real difference to children’s healthcare.
Together, we’re making mealtimes a little easier and helping to build a healthier future for children and families across the UK.
You can find the Little Explorers range at your local Iceland or Food Warehouse store or try cooking the recipes from scratch by visiting www.iceland.co.uk/blog.
Put Children First: Making Children’s Health a National Priority
Our Put Children First campaign has taken significant steps toward placing children’s health at the centre of national policymaking.
Government to prioritise the health and wellbeing of all children.
Launched in September 2024, the campaign responds to a growing crisis witnessed daily by clinicians at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital: more children presenting with illnesses linked to poverty, poor housing, and malnutrition conditions. Doctors report rising cases of measles, early-onset obesity, and severe asthma caused by poor living conditions. Many of these illnesses are preventable, but too often children in deprived communities aren’t supported to thrive.
To highlight this crisis, Alder Hey partnered with children, young people and charities nationwide. In April, 16-year-old Jai and 11-year-old Sophia hand-delivered an open letter to 10 Downing Street urging the
The letter, signed by young people and leading organisations including Save the Children, The Children’s Society and Whizz-Kids, outlined clear proposals:
– Give children and young people a greater voice in political decisions that affect them.
– Prioritise mental health and fitness to prevent long-term illness.
– Mandate training in neurodiversity for those entering education and healthcare.
– Create more creative spaces and invest in youth clubs and schools.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer personally responded to the letter and MPs Ian Byrne, Kim Johnson, and Anneliese Midgley pledged their support, with Midgley calling child health inequality “a national emergency”. Momentum grew further at a Westminster event hosted by Alder Hey Children’s Charity, where children spoke directly to MPs about their lived experiences.
Fiona Ashcroft, CEO of Alder Hey Children’s Charity, summed it up: Many of the challenges we face are beyond the reach of the NHS alone. We need systemic change - and that begins with listening to children.
At Alder Hey, we believe every child deserves the chance to grow up healthy, happy, and hopeful. It's time to Put Children First.
Home Bargains: As seen in store
Home Bargains have been supporters of Alder Hey Children's Charity for over two decades, supporting some of Alder Hey’s largest projects such as the Rocking Horse and New Hospital Appeals.
One way that Home Bargains has continued to support Alder Hey is through their annual Christmas Card Campaign which launched back in 2008. Since its launch, the campaign has grown each year, with thousands of children and young people from across the UK entering the design competition for a chance to have their artwork featured on one of the cards.
It is always a special time in the Alder Hey calendar looking through the wonderful designs, and it’s been amazing to see so many of these come to life as Christmas cards on Home Bargains shelves, with the profits then being donated to Alder Hey.
We are so delighted to once again see our Alder Hey Christmas cards in Home Bargains stores for 2025. Excitingly, for the first time this year all the cards have been exclusively designed by patients of Alder Hey and it has been so wonderful to see all their magical festive creations in store.
- Katy, Corporate Partnership Fundraiser
Alongside their Christmas Card Campaign, recent support from Home Bargains has helped enhance the in-hospital experience for children and young people by funding equipment that creates a customised and immersive environment, adaptable to the specific needs of our young patients. The sensory voyagers create a calming and peaceful environment which helps to alleviate stress and anxiety for all our patients.
As our partnership continues to develop, Home Bargains and Alder Hey Children’s Charity have also been working hard behind the scenes to bring some exciting new Alder Hey products into their stores. You will soon be able to buy an exclusive Alder Hey branded tote bag and trolley coin keyring with a donation made to Alder Hey for every item sold. Excitingly Home Bargains will also be launching their very first Alder Hey branded toothbrush and toothpaste, which we look forward to sharing with you in the new year.
The winning designs from our 2024 Christmas Card Competition
Brighter Smiles at Alder Hey: Supporting Mini Mouth Care Matters
Alder Hey Children’s Charity is proud to support Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Liverpool City Council with the launch of Mini Mouth Care Matters - a vital programme designed to improve the oral health of children in hospital care.
In the North-West, 31% of children aged 0–5 show signs of dental decay, with even higher rates in Liverpool. At Alder Hey, some children arrive unexpectedly without time to prepare for an overnight stay, whilst others face financial barriers to buying basic hygiene items like a toothbrush.
To tackle this, Mini Mouth Care Matters empowers healthcare professionals to take an active role in daily oral care for children staying overnight. The initiative launched with a range of learning resources for staff to ensure consistent, high-quality oral care.
With support from the charity, every child staying at Alder Hey for over 24 hours can receive a special mouthcare pack.
Each pack includes the essentials: a toothbrush, toothpaste, a brushing timer, and an information leaflet. The packs also feature flavourless toothpaste for children with sensory sensitivities and suction toothbrushes for those unable to use a standard brush.
Following the launch earlier this year, the initiative has quickly showed promising results across the hospital.
At Alder Hey Children’s Charity, we remain dedicated to supporting innovative projects like this - initiatives that go beyond immediate care to build healthier futures for children.
Mini Mouth Care Matters is a perfect example of how partnership, innovation and compassion can come together to make a real and lasting impact.
The implementation of Mini Mouth Care Matters at Alder Hey is a crucial step in addressing [poor oral health in children]. It wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of [many community partners]. We’re deeply grateful for their backing.
- Consultant Orthodontist at Alder Hey, Susana Dominguez-Gonzalez
We simply could not do what we do without YOU! Thank you to everyone who has supported us and continues to champion Alder Hey. Together we are making a real difference to the children and families Alder Hey supports.
HAYLEY THOMAS Head of Corporate Partnerships hayley.thomas@alderheycharity.org
ELLIE FREESTONE Corporate Partnerships Manager ellie.freestone@alderheycharity.org
KAITLIN GERMAIN Corporate Partnerships Fundraiser kaitlin.germain@alderheycharity.org
KATY ARMITAGE Corporate Partnerships Fundraiser katy.armitage@alderheycharity.org
HANNAH NGUYEN Corporate Partnerships Assistant hannah.nguyen@alderheycharity.org
© Copyright 2025 Alder Hey Children’s Charity. Registered Charity Number 1160661
Alder Hey Children’s Charity, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP www.alderheycharity.org