Issue #11
In Touch Philanthropy Newsletter
Welcome to the latest issue of In Touch As another year draws to a close, this edition is a wonderful reminder of just how much is happening across Alder Hey – and the many different ways philanthropy is helping to shape care for children and families, both today and for generations to come. We share the latest developments across our campus, including progress on the new Same Day Emergency Care Centre and Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, as these exciting new facilities move ever closer to welcoming their first patients. We also look to the future of cardiac care at Alder Hey and the ambitious plans that will transform what is possible for children with heart conditions. 2
Elsewhere, we celebrate 20 years of Arts for Health and the remarkable role creativity plays in making Alder Hey such a special place for children and families. You can also discover how new technology and equipment are enhancing care, from entertainment at the bedside to specialist ultrasound equipment in our Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. This issue also takes us beyond the hospital walls. We hear more about Alder Hey’s advocacy work, the Child Death Helpline and Mini Mouthcare Matters – each demonstrating the wider impact our colleagues are having for children, young people and families. And, as Christmas approaches, we’re reminded of the extra touches that can bring comfort, joy and a little magic to children who need to spend the festive
season in hospital. None of this happens in isolation. Your support gives our clinical teams the opportunity to think bigger, develop new ideas and create experiences and services that go beyond what would otherwise be possible. Thank you for continuing to be part of Alder Hey and for everything you make possible for our children and families.
Tracey Wilson Director of Philanthropy
Step into Christmas at Alder Hey
Our final coffee morning and exclusive tour of the year will be held on
Monday 30th November 10am-12pm It would be our pleasure to welcome you to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for coffee, mince pies and a sprinkle of Christmas magic, as we take you on a tour of our ever-growing and innovative campus. See our dazzling festive lights, magical MediCinema, and meet some of our inspiring hospital colleagues, working to give our patients the best Christmas possible. You are guaranteed to leave us feeling festive!
The MediCinema will be showing all of our patients’ festive favourites this Christmas
RSVP to Helen Murray: specialevents@alderhey.nhs.uk 0151 953 0182
Children’s Heart Centre Appeal A new era for children’s heart care at Alder Hey Every year, thousands of children from across the North West, North Wales and the Isle of Man rely on Alder Hey for specialist heart care. For many families, Alder Hey becomes part of life, with children returning throughout childhood for investigations, procedures, surgery and ongoing monitoring. Over the past two decades, children’s heart care has changed dramatically. Advances in diagnosis, surgery, intensive care and long-term management mean more children are surviving complex heart conditions and living longer, healthier lives. Today, Alder Hey cares for more than
1,600 cardiac inpatients every year, alongside over
17,000 outpatient appointments. 4
But while care has transformed, the environment supporting it was designed for a different era of paediatric cardiology. Now, we have an opportunity to change that. Alder Hey is one of the largest paediatric cardiac centres in the UK
One centre, designed around children and families Alder Hey is developing ambitious plans for a modern, integrated Children’s Heart Centre, bringing key elements of inpatient care, day case services, diagnostics and specialist support together.
This is an opportunity to create a more coordinated journey from diagnosis through treatment and recovery to ongoing follow-up. For families who travel significant distances to Alder Hey – and may return many times throughout their child’s life – this could mean a simpler, more joined-up experience of care. Dedicated family facilities will offer welcoming places for parents to rest during long hospital stays and private spaces for sensitive conversations. Enhanced play and rehabilitation areas will support children’s physicaland emotional wellbeing, creating an environment designed around the whole family.
Technology for the future Advanced diagnostic and imaging facilities, including 4D echocardiography, will help clinical teams deliver increasingly sophisticated care, supported by enhanced digital technology for information sharing and multidisciplinary decision-making. Crucially, the Centre will be designed with the future in mind, with the flexibility to embrace emerging technologies and new approaches as children’s cardiology continues to evolve. Alder Hey’s cardiac surgical team recently celebrated 75 years of children’s cardiac surgery in Liverpool
Care today. Innovation for tomorrow.
The new Children’s Heart Centre will also support education, research and innovation – helping Alder Hey develop the next generation of cardiac specialists and continue advancing children’s heart care. Over the coming months, we’ll share more about our plans and introduce some of the clinicians, children and families at the heart of Alder Hey’s cardiac service. With your support, we can create a Children’s Heart Centre that reflects the exceptional care taking place within it – and transforms the experience of heart care for generations of children to come. To find out how you can support the Children’s Heart Centre Appeal, please contact Amanda Jones at: amanda.jones@alderhey.nhs.uk
From ambition to reality Three transformational projects. One exciting year ahead. Thanks to your incredible generosity, three major projects that have been at the heart of recent fundraising appeals are now nearing completion. In early 2027, these ambitious plans will become a reality for children, families and colleagues at Alder Hey. CT Scanner – A world first for Alder Hey Alder Hey is set to become the first dedicated paediatric hospital in Scans will be reduced from the world to have a Philips minutes to just seconds Spectral CT 7500 Pro Scanner, helping clinical teams get the detailed images they need when time can be critical. By reducing scan times from minutes to just seconds, this incredible technology will transform patient care. 6
Our Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Same Day Emergency Care Centre – Transforming care for children at Alder Hey
This transformative new facility will house our new SDEC and Surgical Neonatal departments’
Alder Hey’s family-centred Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will be the first of its kind in the UK, pioneering world-leading neonatal surgical care. Our new Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) Centre will create a dedicated space where children can be rapidly assessed, treated and, wherever possible, return home the same day.
After an incredible response to our fundraising appeals, the finishing line is now in sight, with all projects due to be completed in early 2027. Thank you for making this possible.
20 Years of Creativity, Comfort and Joy This year, Alder Hey’s Arts for Health Programme celebrates an incredible milestone: 20 years of transforming the hospital experience for children and families. Funded entirely through charitable donations, the programme brings music, theatre, stories and dance directly into the hospital and onto our wards, ensuring every child can access opportunities that distract, comfort and inspire. Creating moments that make a difference Our musicians bring soothing sounds to the wards, helping newborns settle and supporting parents to bond with their babies through the creation of personal lullabies. These gentle moments of comfort can make a world of difference to families facing uncertainty. For children spending long periods in hospital, interactive workshops
encourage self-expression, build confidence and create opportunities to learn new skills and make friends. Whether learning to be a DJ, discovering a musical instrument, or reimagining Shakespeare through rap, patients can explore their interests, regardless of their medical condition.
Baby Abdul enjoying the calming sounds of Hedi’s Guitar
The lasting impact of Arts for Health Whilst Arts for Health may not change a diagnosis, it can transform a family’s hospital experience, replacing anxiety with creativity, building confidence and creating lasting positive memories. Your support makes every performance, workshop and creative experience possible. Together, we can ensure every child can benefit from Arts for Health, today and for another 20 years.
If you would like more information about how you can support Arts for Health at Alder Hey, please get in touch: emily.martin@alderhey.nhs.uk
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Smart TVs: Bringing Comfort and Connection to Hospital Stays For 25 years, Catherine Walker, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Alder Hey’s Pain Team, has cared for thousands of children and young people in some of their most difficult moments. She has witnessed first-hand the difference that distraction can make to a child’s hospital experience.
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When a child arrives at Alder Hey, they are often frightened, anxious and far away from the routines, people and places that make them feel safe.
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In these moments, distraction is far more than entertainment. It is an important part of helping children cope emotionally and physically with their hospital stay. Catherine has observed just how isolating being in hospital can be: 8
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Children often miss friends, school, pets and everyday routines. Families can spend days, weeks and sometimes months living within the four walls of a hospital ward.
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Upgraded Smart TVs will help bridge that gap, providing entertainment, educational content and opportunities to stay connected with loved ones through video calls and online activities. Catherine believes the impact will be transformational.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we’ve already raised significant funds towards our TV appeal, but there’s still time to help us reach our goal. To find out more about supporting the appeal, please contact: charli.canfer@alderhey.nhs.uk
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Smart TVs will help children maintain routines that are so important to their emotional wellbeing and create moments of normality when they are needed most. In the NHS, we work hard every day to provide the very best care for our patients. Charity donors help us go further by funding resources that bring comfort, connection and distraction.
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The new TVs will help reduce anxiety and bring comfort during hospital stays.
Helping families remember the care, not the procedure Every day, clinicians in our Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) care for some of the most critically ill babies and children in the UK. Many require urgent vascular access so that life-saving medication, nutrition and treatment can begin immediately, but some of these veins are no bigger than a grain of rice. Finding them quickly and accurately can make the difference between one successful procedure and several painful attempts. Seeing what standard ultrasound cannot The FUJIFILM Sonosite 46MHz Ultra-High Frequency Probe is the first and only probe of its kind. It allows clinicians to visualise tiny vessels and intricate anatomy with the highest resolution available.
Fewer attempts, less distress This innovative technology will help improve first-pass success rates for complex vascular access procedures, reducing the need for repeated needle insertions and preserving fragile veins for future treatment. For children, this means less pain, less anxiety and a better overall experience of care. An investment that could help thousands of children We are raising £19,125 for the specialist probe which will be used within Alder Hey’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and is expected to benefit thousands of children over its seven to ten-year lifespan. As an enhancement above and beyond core NHS funding, this equipment can only be provided through charitable support.
The FUJIFILM Sonosite 46MHz Ultra-High Frequency Probe will provide safer, more accurate care for children.
By investing in the latest advancements in paediatric healthcare, we can give our clinicians the tools they need to deliver the best possible care. If you would like more information about how you can support ultrasound technology, please contact: charli.canfer@alderhey.nhs.uk 9
Meet Rachel, our Advocacy and Campaigns Manager In 2026, we’ve continued to build our profile in Westminster and look for opportunities to influence decisions on children’s health, highlights include:
We’d like to introduce you to the face behind our Charity’s growing influence in children’s health: Advocacy and Campaigns Manager, Rachel.
• Contributing formal evidence to a Parliamentary inquiry into Innovation in the NHS.
We’ve already seen some significant successes. What has been your proudest moment so far?
• Inclusion in the Government’s evaluation of newborn screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a fantastic example of how we can work with clinicians and parliamentarians to improve care for children. • Influencing the Health Bill, making the case for children’s distinct needs to be considered. 10
I’m proudest of seeing the Charity begin to find its place and voice in children’s health advocacy. Going to Downing Street as part of the End Child Poverty Coalition was a real moment for me - it brought home that we are becoming part of a wider movement working to improve children’s lives. We’ve started to build important relationships with politicians and other charities, while developing clearer ideas about where Alder Hey can make a difference.
What inspires you most about the work that you do? I’ve worked in policy, campaigning and influencing for over 20 years, and I’ve always been fascinated by the potential to work with Parliament and Government to improve people’s lives. What makes working at Alder Hey so inspiring is being able to connect with the experiences of children and families, and the expertise and passion of the clinicians who work with them. If we can bring those voices to the people making decisions, we have a real opportunity to create change far beyond Alder Hey. What do you hope Alder Hey’s advocacy work will look like in five years’ time? I’d love Alder Hey to be known as a strong, trusted voice for children’s
health policy nationally - bringing together children and families, clinicians and decisionmakers to make change happen. I hope we will be able to point to real progress: children’s health being taken more seriously by government, more investment in prevention and increased funding for children’s health services. Most importantly, I want children and young people to be at the heart of that work, rather than being spoken for.
Rachel recently represented Alder Hey Children’s Charity at a No. 11 Downing Street reception
What is your greatest hope for children and families that are part of the Alder Hey community? Like everyone at the Charity, I want every child to have the chance to grow up healthy and happy, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances. Alder Hey will always be there to provide brilliant care when children are unwell, but I hope we can help create a future in which fewer children need that care in the first place. If you would like to hear more about how you can support our advocacy work, please get in touch: helen.murray@alderhey.nhs.uk
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The Child Death Helpline - No Family Should Face Grief Alone The death of a child changes every part of a family’s life. While grief cannot be taken away, compassionate support can help families navigate the days, months and years that follow. The Child Death Helpline is a free, confidential national service for anyone affected by the death of a child. Uniquely, it is delivered by volunteers who have experienced child bereavement themselves, offering understanding from people who truly appreciate the complexities of grief. The Helpline was previously delivered in partnership by Great Ormond Street Hospital and Alder Hey. In 2023, Alder Hey became the sole Trust responsible for the service, only made possible with charitable support, ensuring this valuable national bereavement support was not lost. 12
Michelle Meredith, our Volunteer and Training Co-ordinator, recently shared a powerful example of its impact.
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Les, one of our long-standing call handlers, took a call from Christine in Scotland whose son had died. The conversation was such a positive and meaningful experience for her that she asked whether she could volunteer her own time to support other bereaved families. It was heartwarming that Les wanted to meet Christine at her training. This is the power of peer support and moving forward with life after child loss.
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From caller to volunteer: Christine and Les meet face to face for the first time at The Alder Centre
We are now raising £200,000 for the Child Death Helpline to recruit, train and support more volunteers, extend opening hours and help more bereaved families access support when they need it most. If you would like to find out more about supporting the Alder Centre and the Child Death Helpline, please get in touch: charli.canfer@alderhey.nhs.uk
Brighter Smiles at Alder Hey 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, while others face financial barriers to buying basic hygiene items like a toothbrush. Mini Mouth Care Matters empowers healthcare professionals to take an active role in daily oral care for children staying overnight, supported by learning resources for staff to ensure consistent, high-quality care. Thanks to charitable support, every child staying at Alder Hey for over 24 hours can receive a special mouthcare pack containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, brushing timer and information leaflet. Flavourless toothpaste is available for children with sensory sensitivities, alongside suction toothbrushes for those unable to use a standard brush.
The project is now successfully embedded across inpatient wards, with compulsory oral health assessments for all inpatients staying over 24 hours. Over 3,000 mouthcare packs have been distributed Over 350 staff have been trained Trained volunteers and third-year dental students provide daily ward support, helping children access kits and advice This strong foundation creates opportunities to expand the initiative into other areas of the hospital, helping even more children benefit from good oral health.
The support of NHS colleagues is essential to the success of Mini Mouth Care Matters
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The implementation of Mini Mouth Care Matters at Alder Hey wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of our donors and funders. We’re deeply grateful for your backing.
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Susana Dominguez-Gonzalez, Consultant Orthodontist at Alder Hey For more information about how you can support Mini Mouth Care Matters, please contact: tracey.wilson@alderhey.nhs.uk 13
Transforming the Outpatient Experience for Every Child Every year, more than 300,000 babies, children and young people visit Alder Hey’s Outpatient department for appointments, check-ups and specialist care. From one-off appointments and blood tests, to regular visits for complex lifelong conditions, our outpatient teams provide vital care across more than 40 different specialities.
neurodivergency, disabilities and mental health conditions. Bright lights, busy waiting rooms and unfamiliar sounds can quickly become overwhelming.
spaces, with playful wall art, dedicated quiet rooms and interactive sensory toys offering opportunities for distraction, play and relaxation.
Our new outpatient refurbishment project has been developed alongside staff, families and our youth forum. Across four outpatient floors, it will create more welcoming and calming
Calmer spaces, better experiences By reducing anxiety and creating spaces where children feel more at ease, families can experience smoother treatments, while NHS colleagues benefit from calmer clinical environments in which to provide the very best care.
For many children, visiting hospital can feel frightening. Unfamiliar surroundings, uncertainty and long waiting times can create anxiety, particularly for younger patients or those visiting for the first time.
Together, we are transforming our outpatient department into a space where every child feels understood and supported.
Designed for every child This is especially important for the 70% of children and young people we see who have additional needs, including 14
If you would like more information about how you can support our Alder Hey Outpatient improvements, please get in touch: Creating calmer clinical environments with sensory equipment
emily.martin@alderhey.nhs.uk
Bringing the Magic of Christmas to Alder Hey For children, Christmas is bursting with excitement; a sleepless Christmas Eve, running to the tree to see what Santa has brought, festive crafts, cosy Christmas movies and visits to Santa’s grotto. At Alder Hey, we don’t want Christmas to feel any different for children who need to be here over the festive period. Whilst the NHS looks after the essential dayto-day running of our hospital, it’s your generosity that helps ensure the warmth and magic we associate with Christmas can still happen. A moment of Christmas wonder at Alder Hey
Bringing festive cheer to every ward
From the moment families walk through the door, they are greeted with sparkling lights and a giant Christmas tree. Our NHS and Charity colleagues join in the festive spirit too, with elf ears, Santa hats and festive scrubs bringing smiles to our patients. There are Christmas songs from our talented musicians, festive crafts and magical movies at the MediCinema, helping children enjoy many of the traditions they would have at home.
A Christmas to remember No family wants to spend Christmas in hospital, but for those who need to, your support helps us make the festive season as magical as possible and gives families the chance to make precious memories together.
To find out how you can help bring Christmas to Alder Hey this year, please get in touch: emily.martin@alderhey.nhs.uk 15
Thank You On behalf of everyone at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, thank you for helping us to create bright futures for babies, children and young people. Alder Hey Children’s Charity, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP www.alderheycharity.org
© Copyright 2026 Alder Hey Children’s Charity. Registered Charity Number 1160661
TRACE Y WIL SO N Di rect or of Phi l ant hropy tracey.wilson@alderhey.nhs.uk 07903 70 5 331
AMANDA JONES Phi l ant hropy Manag er amanda.jones@alderhey.nhs.uk 07887 98731 1
BRIDGET GRIFFIN Seni or Phi l ant hropy Fundraiser bridget.griffin@alderhey.nhs.uk
H E L E N M U R R AY Phi l ant hropy Support L ead helen.murray@alderhey.nhs.uk 0792 5 8602 67
CHARLI CANFER Phi l ant hropy Fundraiser charli.canfer@alderhey.nhs.uk 0 1 51 95 3 0 1 81
E M I LY M A R T I N Phi l ant hropy Of f i cer emily.martin@alderhey.nhs.uk 0151 953 0183
I F E B A B AT U N D E Phi l ant hropy As sistant ife.babatunde@alderhey.nhs.uk