INSPIRED Events Spring 2022

AlderHeyHospital

@AlderHeyCharity

AlderHey_Inspired

Issue no. 12

Alder Hey Children’s Charity Magazine

One Sleepless Night – a 3 Peaks Challenge!

New Charity Shop Opens See us at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

S p e c ia l EVENTS E d it io n

Tel: 0151 252 5716 | Web: www.alderheycharity.org | Email: info@alderheycharity.org Registered charity no. 1160661

Inside Issue 12...

3

Alternative Ascot

4

Thank you to all our fabulous supporters

6

Trek to Petra

7

Introducing our Charity Shops

8

Lydia’s story

10 Oli joins our running team 12

The Alder Hey 5 & 10K

13

The 3 Peaks Challenge and Snowdon by Night

14

Shining the corporate spotlight

16

On your bike

18

Dragon Boat Festival

19

Corporate Golf Day

20 Oli’s Safari

Walk

21

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022

22

How your support has made a difference

24 Abseil for

Alder Hey

Welcome to the latest edition of

We start this edition with goodbye…

At the end of May our longest serving member of staff, Irene (Community Fundraising Manager), retires after 28 years.

Irene joined the Charity on 27th September 1995 and has since dedicated almost three decades to Alder Hey from the days when the Charity was known as the Rocking Horse Appeal, then the Imagine Appeal and finally through the last decade as Alder Hey Children’s Charity.

Irene has supported thousands of supporters and groups and helped to raise £millions to help children and their families at Alder Hey – we’ve even dangled her by a piece of rope off the Anglican Cathedral!

Irene will be missed by all of us at the Charity and we wish her all the very best in her retirement. We look forward to welcoming her back as a volunteer in our Charity Shops as soon as she’s finished cruising!

A LT E R N AT I V E ASCOT THURSDAY 16TH JUNE 12.30PM

J O I N U S AT A I N T R E E R A C E C O U R S E F O R T H E RACING SOCIAL EVENT OF THE YEAR! Live, televised racing from Royal Ascot Two course lunch and complimentary drink Live entertainment and disco ‘Best Dressed’ Competition Stand up bingo Full afternoon tea

TICKETS

Tickets sell out every year so make sure you register early for this brilliant occasion.

Tickets £50 | Tables of 10 available To register please call Helen on 0151 252 5364 or email helen.hughes@alderheycharity.org Alternative Ascot 3

TO OUR FABUL

When Hale Village Coffee Shop had to close after 42 years due to the Covid pandemic they decided to donate their £3,000 savings to our neo-natal appeal (see pages 8-9) – thank you.

Delta Surgical UK raised £4,641 by completing the Goggin’s 4x4x48 Challenge.

Thank you to everyone who turned out to watch the amazing tractor run on 19th December – your donations came in thick and fast and the event raised a phenomenal £65,150.14.

A huge thank you to #ollyblogs @agricontract for organising another amazing event, we can’t wait for this year!

GSK Golf Society raised a fore-midable £2,000 from their golf day.

4 Thank you to all our fabulous supporters

Superstar Ellie completed a sponsored walk raising £400, inspiring her school (Parish C of E Primary) to raise a further £1,500.

OUS SUPPORTERS The fabulous Fred and Noah raised a magical £2,056 by holding a football tournament and related fundraising activities – they put a huge smile on our faces when they visited the Charity office.

We continue to be amazed and humbled by the effort our supporters go to in raising vital funds for Alder Hey. Here are just a few who have Inspired us during the last few months.

Grace and Lottie raised a fantastic £507.61 by putting their bracelet making talents to good use and selling them in their local community.

Cardiac patient Jack bagged himself a gold medal in our Alder Hey Olimpics when he raised £1,000 by climbing Snowdon – an amazing achievement.

The Holden family and St Helens College and Hospitality Professionals held a dinner evening with chefs from @greatbritishmenu and raised a tasty £6,152.06.

Lords to Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club on a bike? Cricketers and cyclists Alan, Jonny, Jamie and Richard completed it raising £3,700 for Alder Hey in the process.

Thank you to all our fabulous supporters 5

6 On your bike!

INTRODUCING OUR CHARITY SHOPS Following the success of our pilot Charity Shop in Old Swan, Liverpool we have now opened our second shop in Huyton Village.

Both shops are full of fantastic bargains from pre-loved furniture to children’s toys, ladies and gents clothing, bric-a-brac and books.

VOLUNTEER WITH US We rely heavily on volunteers – we couldn’t operate our shops without them, and we need more!

If you can spare a few hours a week and would like to join our Charity Shop Team at either Old Swan or Huyton please email shop@alderheycharity.org or pop in and speak with a member of staff.

Alder Hey Charity Shop – Old Swan 613-615 Prescot Road Old Swan Liverpool L13 5XA

Alder Hey Charity Shop – Huyton Units 3&4 Cavendish Walk Derby Road Huyton Liverpool L36 9YG

0151 476 9789

0151 480 2818

We accept good quality donations on site at both shops (please ensure you drop off your donations with a member of staff or volunteer rather than leaving outside) and can collect good quality furniture.

DON’T FORGET – If you fill out a Gift Aid form we can claim an extra 25% at no cost to you.

To book a collection please call 0151 476 9789.

Introducing our Charity Shops 7

LYDIA’S “ STORY

LY D I A’ S M U M C L A R E , SAID:

In 2013, when Lydia was just a few hours old, she was rushed to Alder Hey for an emergency operation. She had been born with a very complex case of Gastroschisis, a condition where the intestines extend outside of the abdomen through a hole next to the belly button. Even after the operation Lydia struggled for some time because her bowels didn’t work very well, and she had to return to Alder Hey to have another operation a few months later. Three-quarters of her intestine was removed, leaving Lydia with the bare minimum needed to absorb the food she needed for healthy growth and development.

Lydia was fed intravenously with a drip solution because she was unable to be fed by mouth to start with. It took quite a while for her to be able to eat and drink the way a baby usually does.

Lydia had many operations, blood transfusions and procedures, including a feeding tube fitted directly into her stomach. Eventually and gradually the drip feeding could be stopped. She was in hospital continuously for 9 months; 4 of these on the neonatal ward.

8 Lydia’s story

“

Meet Lydia, a brave young patient whose family is backing our Surgical Neonatal Appeal to build the facilities needed to keep families together.

The care both Lydia and myself received on the Neonatal ward at Alder Hey far exceeded any expectations I had.

Not only did I fully trust the nurses with the care of something so precious as my baby, every day and every night I was so comforted by their care and expertise. The care Lydia received was outstanding, but spending 4 months on a ward takes its toll on the whole family.

CL ARE SAID:

“

“

Fast forward nine years, and Lydia can now eat normally, although she still needs extra, high calorie meals three times a day through her feeding tube which is now a much more convenient ‘button’. Otherwise, Lydia has no medical needs, not even regular medication.

She is a very fit and happy little girl who is academically gifted. She enjoys going to gymnastics twice a week and is even learning to play the piano and the drums!

The new enhancements to the neonatal ward sound incredible and would have made such a difference to us as a family. Lydia has two older sisters who love her very much. I felt so guilty leaving Lydia when I went to see my two girls at home and vice versa.

Having them there with us more, in our own child friendly private area, would have really helped with Lydia’s recovery. The experience with Lydia was tough but it made us all very strong as a family.

I felt blessed we had a happy ending, and that Lydia was able to come home and get to grow up without any serious medical conditions Visit our website to find out how you can get involved with our appeal to help families like Lydia’s.

Lydia’s story 9

OLI JOINS OUR RUNNING TEAM It’s been amazing to see so many of our Alder Hey runners taking part in different events already this year, including our very own mascot, Oli the elephant, who recently joined our running team and completed the Liverpool Half Marathon.

Couch to 5K or ultra-runner?

All ages and abilities of runners are welcome to join the Alder Hey running community to help make a real difference to the lives of the 330,000 children treated at Alder Hey every year.

We offer free/and or guaranteed places at a number of events and provide one of our iconic running vests or t-shirts for all of our runners.

For further details on any event or any other running enquiries please visit www.alderheycharity.org.events, email community@ alderheycharity.org or call Adam on 0151 252 5716 10 Keep on running

JOIN US. JOIN IN. SUNDAY 15TH MAY Chester Half Marathon** SUNDAY 12TH JUNE Port Sunlight 5K & 10K* SUNDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER Great North Run (Half Marathon) - £30 Registration / £350 SUNDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER Mersey Tunnel 10k* SUNDAY 2ND OCTOBER Chester Marathon** SUNDAY 30TH OCTOBER Alder Hey Halloween 5K Southport Pleasureland 9.30am *Free place if you can commit to raising £100 (includes t shirt) **Free place if you can commit to raising £200 (includes t shirt)

JAY RUNS FOR

and raising an incredible £610 in the process.

Thank you to all of the runners who turned out for the Alder Hey 5 & 10K at Haydock Racecourse on 3rd April.

Thank you to the Running Bee Foundation who organised and gifted the race to Alder Hey which enabled runners to complete a course within the historic racecourse which opening in 1899.

Former Alder Hey patient Jay Gillespie (16) finished the 10K in an amazing 7th place, setting a new personal best of 38.51

Jay was first admitted to Alder Hey at just two where Doctors diagnosed him with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that occurs when the small blood vessels in the kidneys become damaged.

Jay has come a long way since his original diagnosis and is now a happy, healthy teenage boy with the drive to help others.

“

I love to run so I entered the 10K to raise money for Alder Hey and thank them for everything they have done for me.

“

ALDER HEY

Why no t ru your Hal n in costume loween (optiona l) and trai (recomm ners ended!)

HALLOWEEN

SUNDAY 30th OCTOBER START TIME 09:3 0AM SOUTHPORT PLEASURELAND

Prices: Adult £15 | Child £10 | Family of Four (2 adults, 2 children) £30 PRICE INCLUDES FREE ENTRY INTO THE FAIR!

ENTER ONLINE AT www.alderheycharity.org @AlderHeyCharity

@ alderhey _inspired

#AlderHey5k

Join us. Join In

Registered charity no. 1160661

Well done to the 60+ runners who, alongside Oli, completed the Liverpool Half Marathon and 10K in March for Alder Hey, helping us to raise over £22,000 from the event.

Huge congratulations to former Liverpool University dentistry student James who finished an incredible 2nd in the 10 mile race. James was part of a 20 strong group from LUDSS (Liverpool University Dental Society) running for Alder Hey.

For a free place in next year’s event please contact adam.dixon@alderheycharity.org 12 Keep on running

ONE SLEEPLESS NIGHT THE 3 PEAKS CHALLENGE 9 -1 1 J U N E 2 0 2 3 Join us as we climb the highest mountains in the UK – Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in aid of our Surgical Neonatal appeal. (visit www.alderheycharity.org for more details).

Climb 9,500 feet and walk 22 miles to complete the most highly regarded trekking challenge in the UK, the classic Three Peaks Challenge!

To register please visit www.alderheycharity.org/events/latest/one-sleepless-night, 9-11th June Alder Hey Children’s Charity – One Sleepless Night Registration fee: £95 | Minimum sponsorship: £800 For further information please email community@alderheycharity.org or call Adam on 0151 252 5716

BEN NEVIS

SCAFELL PIKE

SNOWDON

SNOWDON BY NIGHT 15TH APRIL 2023 Not sure you’re ready for all 3 Peaks?

Why not sign up for our 2023 Snowdon by Night?

Our 2022 Snowdon by Night sold out so book early for 2023!

This nine-mile challenge is for both groups and individuals. Experienced guides will ensure you go home with a deeper understanding of the mountain, an appreciation of your wellbeing and a huge sense of achievement.

Don’t miss out – register now at www.alderheycharity.org/events Challenges 13

SHINING THE CORPORA FRIENDS LONGWORTH

Longworth Building Services have taken part in so many fundraising events and challenges we can barely keep count!

Longworth’s support for Alder Hey Charity began in 2020 and despite the pandemic’s restrictions, their energy hasn’t dwindled. They’ve done skydives, bake sales, dress down days and made a splash at our Dragon Boat Festival. They ran 10K and 5K races, completed triathlons, cycle challenges and abseils, tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and even had a sponsored spray tan!

You name it, they’ve done it, and there is more to come. To date, this incredible team have raised almost £17,000!

“

We’ve thrown ourselves into fundraising for Alder Hey over the past couple of years which has given us the chance to try loads of new things and set ourselves new challenges.

The Dragon Boat Festival was a great day for the whole team, and we are looking forward to being back there in September!

“

PA U L S M I T H , M A N A G I N G DIRECTOR, LONGWORTH BUILDING SERVICES

14 Shining the corporate spotlight

TE SPOTLIGHT ON OUR BUILDING SERVICES! As well as being fundraising champions, Longworth will be leaving a lasting legacy for Alder Hey, as they are one of the contractors on our new Mental Health Build, creating the unique cor-ten steel cladding for these striking buildings.

LONGWORTH T O D O L I S T 2022 Snowdon by Night Yorkshire 3 Peaks in June

It’s fantastic to engage with a corporate partner who is passionate about the legacy they’re leaving for Alder Hey. I love that the team are full of ideas and enthusiasm, and I feel really lucky that they’ve chosen to support us for another year. I’ll see Team Longworth and their league of supporters at the Dragon Boats in September!

B E C K Y PA R S O N S , ALDER HEY CHARITY

Abseil Oli’s Safari Walk Longworth Bake Off

“

“

Dragon Boat Race

PLACE YOUR BRAND AT THE HEART OF THE ACTION BY SPONSORING AN ALDER HEY EVENT. PLEASE CONTACT BECKY.PARSONS@ALDERHEYCHARITY.ORG TO FIND OUT MORE.

Shining the corporate spotlight 15

O

R

N

YOU THE LIVERPOOL-CHESTER-LIVERPOOL BIKE RIDE SUNDAY 3RD JULY 2022

B I K E Our London to Paris Bike ride is now fully booked for June, but if you’re keen to get on your bike for Alder Hey why not join us at one of the following events this summer?

Now in its 29th year, this non-competitive event offers 8 different cycle route options from 5 to 100 miles, and the unique opportunity to cycle through the Mersey Tunnel, traffic free.

To register for your free Alder Hey place and cycling top go to www.alderheycharity.org/ events/latest/liverpool-chester-liverpool/

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OUR CYCLISTS TAKING PART IN THE LONDON PARIS CHALLENGE IN JUNE!

For information email: community@alderheycharity.org 16 On your bike

|

THE CONISTON CHALLENGE Arrive on the Friday, camp overnight and then get ready to conquer Coniston at one of our favourite events of the year!

POP INTO THE CHARITY OFFICE TO SIGN UP!

WHAT’S INVOLVED?

• Teams need to be 4 or 6 members and all members do each part of the triathlon REGISTRATION FEE:

£50 per team MIN SPONSORSHIP:

£1,500 per team

Call 0151 252 5716

|

Pop in to the Charity Office On your bike 17

Dragon Boat Festival CrosbyCHILDREN’S LakesideCHARITY Adventure Centre Saturday 10th September 2022

Join us for a fantastic day of fun and furious paddling!

The perfect challenge event for friends and colleagues.

Up to 11 people per boat (subs are welcome) £275 to register your team £1000 minimum fundraising per team Visit alderheycharity.org/events to register your team today! #JoinUsJoinIn

Proudly sponsored by

BRAITHWAITE GROUP

Reg Charity No 1160661

Corporate Golf Day Caldy Golf Club, Wirral Thursday 14th July 2022

Enjoy playing 18 holes at the stunning Caldy Golf Club, this year’s R&A regional qualifying course.

Then relax in the evening with good company and great food!

£800 per team of four Contact fay.purves@alderheycharity.org to register today!

Proudly sponsored by

Reg Charity No 1160661

3K

OLI’S SAFARI WALK

SPONSORED

WALK

WHEELCHAIR

& PRAM

FRIENDLY

KNOW SLEY SA FARI PARK S U N DAY 1 5TH MAY 2 02 2, 10AM In c lu d e s FREE e h c c a e s s t oatr k p i safar afterwards SUPPORTED BY:

Registered Charity No. 1160661

ONLINE ENTRY: £15 PER ADULT / £7.50 PER CHILD £30 FOR A FAMILY OF 4 (2 adults, 2 children) Online registration closes Thursday 12th May To register, please visit: www.alderheycharity.org or contact Helen Hughes on 0151 252 5364 or email helen.hughes@alderheycharity.org

W E A R E AT R H S C H E L S E A FLOWER SHOW 2022!

Thanks to Project Giving Back our brilliant garden, the Alder Hey Urban Foraging Station can be seen at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show from 23rd May to 28th May 2022 and will then be relocated in the grounds at Alder Hey shortly afterwards for full public access and enjoyment.

Designed by brothers Hugh and Howard Miller, the Alder Hey Urban Foraging Station is a woven landscape; it is about weaving together the young and old, green and urban, play and learning and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital with its community.

At its core is the aspiration to inspire children to lead active, healthy, pleasurable lives. The garden is infused with the magic of discovery inherent to foraging.

Visitors first encounter the garden as nostalgic glimpses through rampant, blossoming hedgerows. Within, a sense of freedom prevails; explore, ‘leave

the path’, get lost in your own world. A design language of woven forms associated with foraging are abstracted into a woven landscape.

Precast concrete ‘strands’ make up a picnic blanket laid over an undulating landscape with edible herbs growing through.

We’d love to see you if you are planning on visiting RHS Chelsea this year – pop over and say hi to us! In the meantime, follow our journey to Chelsea by reading the blogs, watching the behind the scenes videos and getting a few sneak peeks as we approach the run up to the biggest flower show in the UK!

FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY ON OUR WEBSITE AND ON SOCIAL - SEARCH #HEYCHELSEA

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 21

HOW YOUR SUPPORT HA Your donations have made a HUGE difference here at Alder Hey over the last six months! From vital paediatric research projects, exciting music and theatre workshops and state of the art equipment to help our clinicians save lives, your support continues to create brighter futures.

M

A

Here are just a few of the ways you have helped…

G

AWARD-WINNING PARK CAMPUS

At the moment, a lot of our fundraising is focussed on building and fitting out incredible new facilities for children’s mental health services, and a specialist unit for neonatal babies and their families.

So far, you have helped us raise over £2,750,000 for

IC

£9,970 has funded the continuation of a project called Theatrical Minds. The project is helping young patients living with complex mental health conditions to build skills and confidence by writing and producing their own short plays. Our partnership with Liverpool Everyman provides the young people a unique opportunity for experience and mentoring with theatre professionals too!

our 7in10 Children’s Mental Health Appeal, and our supporters have already pledged over £1,000,000 towards the new Surgical Neonatal Unit.

Your generosity is helping us to create a truly amazing children’s healthcare campus.

£14,995 will continue to fund a resident entertainer, bring magic and smiles to our brave young patients £59,980 will continue to bring patient-led music sessions to our wards with our professional musicians

£3,624 has built a summer house for our Alder Centre garden, providing a calm space for anyone supported by our Snowdrop Team

22

S MADE A DIFFERENCE RESEARC

H

AN D

£12,833 raised through the sale of our colourful facemasks helped fund free Oli facemasks for children attending the hospital during the COVID restrictions

IN NO

VA T I ON

£200,000 will provide seed funding for numerous Innovation projects, keeping Alder Hey at the cutting edge of children’s healthcare £5,007 is funding vital endocrine research that will help with early identification of pre-diabetes £2,500 is supporting a Sleep for Health project for young neurology patients

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

EQUIPMENT

£4,108 has helped our team to develop the Breast Pump Home Loan Service, supporting mums to provide their babies with the nutrients they need £35,348 has funded an Alaris Communication Engine, a system which will allow all the IV pumps in the hospital to be networked, improving care and helping our

clinical teams to do an amazing job £8,020 will put upgraded projectors or screens into every bed area for our young inpatients on the High Dependency Unit to watch their favourite TV programmes £178,000 has helped to fund an Echocardiography Service which provides high quality 4D imaging for diagnosis and surgical planning for our young heart patients

23

Abseil for Abseil 150ft over the main entrance to

Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral!

Saturday 16th July 2022 For further information 0151 252 5716 community@alderheycharity.org www.alderheycharity.org/events