In Touch Philanthropy Newsletter
Hello & Welcome
OF PHI L A NTHROP
Life at Alder Hey has been busy as usual and we are delighted to see the incredible progress being made on the construction of our new Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Same Day Emergency Care Centre. You can read more about these projects on pages 4 - 6. We are also approaching completion of our new state-of-the-art hospital cinema which will bring the magic of film to children who are staying at Alder Hey.
Welcome to the latest issue of In Touch. I hope you have all had enjoyable summers despite the unpredictability of the UK weather this year!
Autumn and winter are always special seasons at Alder Hey, with lots of exciting events in our calendar as we approach Christmas.
Alder Hey Children’s Charity provides the magic beyond the medicine, and this is especially important at this time of year. Your support ensures that Christmas at Alder Hey is as special as it possibly can be; full of warmth, excitement
and of course magic. From a giant tree in the atrium, sparkling decorations throughout the wards, choirs singing carols and Father Christmas and his elves in their grotto, we do everything we can to make Alder Hey feel like home each Christmas.
We have included dates for our exclusive behind the scenes tour events in 2025. If would like to attend, either on one of these dates or for a private tour on a day and time of your choice, please get in touch. We are always delighted to welcome you to the hospital to experience the magic of Alder Hey for yourself.
Finally, I want to offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to you for your ongoing support. We can only continue supporting patients, families, and our NHS colleagues because of you. Thank you.
Tracey Wilson Head of Philanthropy
Join us for an exclusive tour
of Alder Hey Hospital
To confirm your place for the chance to meet our wonderful hospital colleagues, hear inspiring patient stories, and see first-hand what makes Alder Hey so special, please contact us on the email address below.
The magic of Alder Hey really is best experienced in person and we would be delighted to welcome you for a behind-the-scenes visit. We have three dates coming up in 2025:
Thurs 13th March 2.30 - 4.30pm Thurs 12th June 2.30 - 4.30pm Thurs 16th Oct 2.30 - 4.30pm
If any of these dates do not suit you, please get in touch and we will be happy to arrange a private tour for you. We hope to see you at Alder Hey soon.
Helen Murray Philanthropy Support Lead
Our Innovation “Batcave” is a regular tour stop, where you can step inside a patient’s heart through VR technology!
SAVE THE DATE... To book your place please contact: specialevents@alderhey.nhs.uk
Magic beyond the medicine in our new Same Day Emergency Care Centre
For many of our patients, the most daunting part of coming to hospital is the fear of the unknown. It is a scary prospect for anyone, especially a child, to be wrenched from the comfort of their normal life, and thrust instead into a strange and intimidating clinical environment. In that moment, they scarcely know where they are, how long they will be here, or what will happen to them during their stay. The only thing they know for sure is that they need our help.
That is why we are currently raising funds to help create a new Same Day Emergency Care Centre, which is due to open at the end of 2025.
The Centre will be an extension to our existing Accident and Emergency Department, based on the ground floor of the new building which will also house the Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on its first floor. Same Day Emergency Care is an innovative service that brings together all departments providing urgent and emergency treatment in the same space.
The Same Day Emergency Care Centre will have engaging and nurturing welcome and waiting spaces
Woodland animal artwork, comfortable seating and a TV in every cubicle
Children and young people will be rapidly assessed, diagnosed, and treated – all without unnecessary admission to a ward. In most cases, patients will be able to return safely home the very same day.
Creating comfort – our Same Day Emergency Care vision
Here at Alder Hey, we believe that healing is not simply a clinical process but a journey. This is why, with your help, we raise funds for the magic beyond the medicine, finding creative and innovative ways to make hospital as enchanting and positive an experience as possible for our brave young patients. This is particularly important for Same Day Emergency Care, where treatment is often required unexpectedly, in difficult and traumatic circumstances. Our aim is to create a safe haven for patients and their families in what can be an incredibly unsettling time.
Lucy Casson’s nature inspired artwork can be found throughout Alder Hey
For Bimal Mehta, a paediatric emergency consultant at Alder Hey, this represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revolutionise emergency care at Alder Hey:
“ What our young patients need is timely and compassionate care in a space that feels familiar and intimate. Our new Same Day Emergency Care Centre will provide this service and lead the way for emergency care across the UK.”
As the world’s first hospital built in a park, Alder Hey’s design is inspired by nature and sits within a community green space enjoyed by families and staff. We fully recognise the powerful impact that outdoor green space can have on our mental and physical health and wellbeing. This ethos and approach has been incorporated into the design of our Same Day Emergency Care Centre, linking it to the park outside to evoke our innate connection to nature.
Our welcome and waiting spaces will be decorated in soothing hues of green and yellow, mirroring the natural parkland that surrounds the hospital. They will feature nature-themed artwork designed by our hospital artist Lucy Casson, an interactive play wall and bespoke softwood timber feature trees with LED lighting and a leafy tree canopy pattern across the ceiling.
Clinical spaces will be designed in the same style, playful images of woodland animals adorn the walls of each cubicle, along with a television to provide distraction and a sense of normality. Bespoke lighting fixtures, meanwhile, will create a warm, cheerful atmosphere – designed to resemble natural sunlight. Finally, we will install comfortable reclining seating for families, ensuring that they can remain where they belong, by their child’s side, for as long as they are needed.
For more information, please contact:
Building a future for surgical neonatal care at Alder Hey
The construction of our state-of-the-art
Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has been progressing well since the foundations were laid earlier this summer. This follows extensive works to ensure the supply of heating and water to the new unit. The main build will continue to make huge developments over the coming months, with connection to the main hospital building expected later this year.
“ Everyone at Alder Hey is incredibly excited to see the progress onsite as construction ramps up and changes can be seen every day. The site is attracting lots of attention as people walk past and patients and staff watch from the ward windows above. It’s a privilege to see our plans start to become a reality ”
John Glenn, Senior Capital Project Manager
Once the build and connection to the existing hospital building are complete, the 12-month programme of refurbishment and fit out will start later in 2024. Following handover and commissioning, the new unit is still planned to open at the end of 2025.
Amanda and I had the good fortune to explore the construction site for ourselves recently during a funder visit. It was amazing to see the build taking shape and visualise how the new unit will be laid out. Thank you for your support in making this possible and transforming the future of surgical neonatal care for tiny babies and their families.
The new unit is planned to open at the end of 2025
We were delighted to welcome Great Ormond Street to Alder Hey earlier in the year to talk about our plans and explore how our new ways of working can be integrated into other hospitals. We are keen to use our learnings and experience, not only to benefit children in Liverpool and the North-West, but to make a positive impact across the UK and beyond.
If you would like to visit and see the developments for yourself, please contact: tracey.wilson@alderhey.nhs.uk Tracey and Amanda visit the construction site
Lights, Camera, Action
The construction of our state-of-the-art hospital cinema is now underway, and we’ll soon be rolling out the red carpet as young patients excitedly swap their beds for cinema seats. Last month we closed the doors to an underused staff lecture theatre in the hospital atrium, and a team of builders moved in. Over the summer they have been busy transforming the space into an immersive cinematic wonderland, and we can’t wait to invite our first moviegoers very soon.
Our hospital cinema will be open soon
Created with our young patients in mind, the cinema will be bright and colourful, transporting patients from clinical wards to the magic of film, whilst still receiving any care that they need. The cinema technology is state-of-the-art, catering for hard of hearing or visually impaired audience members, with audio and captions that our young patients can control from their very own seat!
Our cinema screenings will allow patients to bond with each other through sharing memorable moments with their families, and staff, creating a positive hospital experience.
We asked Nathan Askew, Alder Hey’s Chief Nursing Officer to share his thoughts ahead of the cinema opening:
“ At my old hospital, I used to work as a volunteer nurse in a MediCinema. It was absolutely amazing to be able to take children, young people, their families away from their bed space and give them a completely different experience. Being able to lose themselves in a film for a couple of hours can really brighten up their day… I can't wait for us to have that red carpet out for our children and their families. ”
Thanks to the generosity of our kind supporters, the new cinema is another example of how you are making a difference for our young patients.
To find out more about other projects the charity is funding, please contact: amanda.jones@alderhey.nhs.uk
Construction is well underway
The Alder Centre – supporting bereaved families for 35 years
2024 marks 35 years of The Alder Centre providing free care to individuals and families who have been affected by the death of a child, of any age. A place like no other, The Alder Centre, based here at Alder Hey, is the first and only purposebuilt dedicated child bereavement centre in the UK.
For 4 years, The Alder Centre has been based from its permanent home, a beautiful building designed by awardwinning architects. The space is filled with natural light and has peaceful walled gardens, providing a place of tranquillity for its visitors. Planting and gardening is carried out by volunteers and visitors to the centre as part of the service. This summer the team have been able to offer homemade cake with strawberries grown in the garden at their weekly drop-in sessions.
The centre regularly supports patient families and hospital staff. It is also the base for the Child Death Helpline, a freephone national service for people in need of support. The only one of its kind in the country, the helpline is charitably funded and run by volunteers who have experienced child bereavement. Following a relaunch this year, the helpline is now entirely run by Alder Hey with an increase in volunteers from across the country.
Simon Riley, Head of The Alder Centre and a senior councillor, explains that the helpline is there to support people now, and in the months and years that follow a bereavement.
A volunteer picking strawberries to be used in a cake for drop-in support sessions
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.
The Child Death Helpline was relaunched with a phone booth where visitors could leave a message for a bereaved child. These messages will be converted to USB and planted in the grounds of the centre.
Education is a key focus for the future of The Alder Centre as the number of people accessing the service continues to grow. The team are keen to “bring some normality and sense of understanding of grief as a part of life” and create a ripple effect of learning and care from beyond the centre. Through charitable support, The Alder Centre continues to pioneer unique and innovative programmes that recognise the need to tailor support for those in need. An example of this is Pilates for those who have been through stillbirth or early infant loss. These free classes are the first of their kind to be designed for postnatal recovery in a safe supportive space with peers who have had similar experiences.
September marks the beginning of the ‘Hidden Gems’ after-school programme of creative workshops for children and young people affected by the death of a child. Gemma Longworth, presenter of the TV show ‘Find It, Fix It, Flog It’, runs the programme and uses her experience as a bereaved sibling and a furniture-upcycler to spark children’s creativity. The programme teaches young people how to express their emotions through a wide range of activities including visual arts, crafts, music, dance, gardening, fashion and upcycling.
We are incredibly proud of the work that The Alder Centre does and the team’s commitment to increasing understanding and awareness of death as a part of healthcare. This work is integral to Alder Hey’s wider ambitions to create healthier, happier and fairer futures, where those affected by the death of a child can achieve their full potential. Together, we can strengthen and grow this special community, enabling them to continue reaching people and provide a guiding light when it’s most needed.
If you would like more information about how you can support The Alder Centre, please get in touch:
charli.canfer@alderhey.nhs.uk
www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk
Saving Lives with Advanced Defibrillators
When a child experiences a cardiac arrest every second counts. Defibrillators can restore a normal heartbeat by sending an electric charge to the heart. For every minute a child is in cardiac arrest without CPR and access to a defibrillator, their chance of survival drops by 10%. Immediate access to a defibrillator can mean the difference between life and death.
At Alder Hey Children's Hospital, our mission is to provide lifesaving care for some of the most clinically vulnerable children and young people in the country. To support this, it is vital that our team has access to the best equipment available. Our experienced team have identified a
high-specification model of advanced manual defibrillator with features that will lead to better patient outcomes. A major benefit of the model is that it can be turned on and used within 5 seconds; this increased speed and efficiency is incredibly valuable in a situation where every moment is critical.
Sarah Barton, Head of Resuscitation at Alder Hey, explained the advantage of having access to analysis after each use of the defibrillator:
“ The cloud monitoring feature will allow us to analyse the rescue as a whole following an event. This will be used to not only improve on our already excellent rescue service, but also to innovate for the future. ”
Lifesaving equipment will be available within 3 minutes of a cardiac arrest at Alder Hey
To ensure that life-saving equipment is available within 3 minutes of a cardiac arrest on our hospital site, we are raising funds to purchase 44 advanced defibrillators, which will be placed in every department across the Alder Hey campus.
If you would like more information about how you can support the defibrillators appeal, please get in touch:
charli.canfer@alderhey.nhs.uk
Pioneering robotic-assisted neurosurgery equipment appeal
Alder Hey was the first paediatric hospital in the UK to have an intraoperative MRI scanner, allowing scans to be taken during surgery. This set a new benchmark, leading the way so that these scanners are now standard in other children’s hospitals.
To ensure we remain at the forefront of neurosurgery advancements, our surgeons have requested we fundraise for a new piece of equipment called Brainlab Cirq, a novel frameless robotic device that can be utilised to increase the accuracy of both cranial and spinal neurosurgery.
“ There are other robots on the market, and use of robot arms is widespread, but this is the latest technology that is not currently being used in any other children’s hospital – once again Alder Hey will be the pioneers. ”
Benedetta Pettorini, Paediatric Neurosurgery Consultant
The Brainlab Cirq will be used for spinal surgery, where the margins for error are extremely limited due
to the small and delicate nature of the spinal bones in children. It will also support efficient advanced functional neurosurgery, such as complex epilepsy surgeries to put wires inside the brain and biopsies, increasing the efficiency and accuracy from doing them freehand.
Benefits include quicker operations, with reduced blood loss and shorter postoperative stays. Surgeons can work more quickly, accurately and efficiently by automating elements of surgery. Access to the latest technology ensures Alder Hey is able to recruit the very best neurosurgeons and continue to deliver outstanding results for our brave young patients and their families. It also allows us to lead the way for other hospitals to follow in our footsteps, benefiting children across the country.
For more information about how you can support our neurosurgery equipment appeal, please contact:
Brainlab Cirq is not currently being used in any other children’s hospital
Supporting vulnerable families
Our new Wellbeing Hub
Having a seriously ill child in hospital is an incredibly stressful experience for families. Parents and caregivers face a whirlwind of emotions, and time spent away from home and work can intensify financial worries. Many of our patient families come from areas of high deprivation in the Liverpool city region, and hospital stays are contributing to mounting pressure.
The average cost for a child and their family attending Alder Hey is £35.36 daily including travel, parking, food, and childcare. This is entirely unsustainable in a cost-ofliving crisis – especially when families do not know how long their child will be in hospital. Families can feel overwhelmed with what lies ahead.
“ Nothing prepares you for what is about to happen... appointments, medicines, equipment, alarms... it has taken over our family. ”
Alder Hey parent
Some vulnerable families have little choice and are pushed to the edge:
“ Often, I'm borrowing money from my family to pay for things and if they are short of money then that has meant I've missed the appointment. ”
Alder Hey parent
Ultimately these missed appointments are negatively affecting the long-term health outcomes of children and young people. Alder Hey is tackling these health inequalities head on.
Families can access a range of financial advice
Our Wellbeing hub will offer practical and emotional support
Families will now have a lifeline thanks to an important project only made possible with charitable support. A new ‘Wellbeing Hub’ will integrate health and wellbeing services and empower families to access practical and emotional support from partner organisations. Patient families will be offered advice on a range of core issues such as transport, employment, foodbank access, debt matters, education, and welfare benefits - helping to alleviate the financial and psychological stress families experience when they have an unwell child in hospital.
To find out more about how you can support this important initiative at Alder Hey, please get in touch:
amanda.jones@alderhey.nhs.uk
Talking Tech: Using Digital Learning to Improve Speech and Language Therapy Outcomes
Back in 2020, our Speech and Language Therapists made a (not so) shocking discovery: homework is boring. Around the same time, every parent in the country was coming to the same painful conclusion, but for our Alder Hey team, this presented an urgent obstacle in their clinical practice. Traditional Speech Therapy relies on a combination of in-person sessions and homework tasks. However, these homework assignments are often dull and repetitive, and our patients understandably sometimes lack the motivation to persevere. This disengagement inhibits progress, creates a strain on clinical time and resources, and ultimately leads to reduced outcomes for children.
To address this troubling issue, our Innovation Team are exploring exciting new clinical frontiers that can significantly
improve engagement among children with speech disorders.
One of our most promising new projects is SpeechPath – a groundbreaking digital learning platform to revolutionise speech therapy for children and their families. SpeechPath will feature customisable treatment plans, video resources for practicing sounds, and sound recording capabilities for patient feedback. By making these resources fully accessible to both patients and parents, SpeechPath ensures continuous engagement with clinical professionals.
By far the most important element of SpeechPath, though, is that it’s fun! SpeechPath will deliver clinical content via a series of mini games. It will also include progress bars to encourage sustained engagement, badges and achievements for each milestone reached, and a leaderboard through which children will be able to compete with friends.
SpeechPath is being developed by the Alder Hey Innovation Team, with the next round of trials scheduled for November 2024.
For more information on how you can support SpeechPath, please contact:
adam.challoner@alderhey.nhs.uk
SpeechPath will deliver clinical content via a series of mini games
Spotlight on:
Alder Hey’s Youth Forum is a community of 90 children and young people aged 8 to 18, from across the Liverpool City Region. Passionate about creating positive change within the NHS, members are empowered to use their voices to influence decision making and innovations for the future at Alder Hey. The Forum is also a great place for members to learn new skills and have fun. 19-year-old Emily Carragher-Leigh is a former Youth Forum member. With support from a programme funded with donations to Alder Hey Children’s Charity, Emily gained qualifications putting her on the pathway to her new job as an Alder Hey Youth Support Worker. I caught up with Emily to find out more.
How did you get involved with the Youth Forum?
In 2020 I was struggling with my mental health. I turned to Sefton’s Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for support and my case manager highlighted a youth participation group called Camhelions. The Camhelions is a way for children and young people to participate in service improvements within Sefton and Alder Hey. Through the group,
Former Youth Forum member Emily is now an Alder Hey Youth Support Worker
I met new people and participated in projects to help improve mental health services for young people. Thanks to Camhelions I was introduced to the Youth Forum. I worked closely with its members and attended Forum sessions, I loved what they were doing and wanted to be part of it.
What stands out from your Youth Forum experience?
Being a member of the Forum helped build my confidence. Highlighting our work and my personal experience of the NHS at events, and meeting NHS senior staff had a big impact on my confidence. It was a privilege to sit on the hospital’s Youth Focus panel, which provides members with a chance to interview candidates for senior roles, as part of their recruitment process. These activities show how seriously the voices of children and young people are taken.
Thanks to a programme made possible by donations to Alder Hey Children’s Charity, I completed qualifications in Youth Work, Peer Mentoring and Mental Health First Aid. These qualifications were vital in helping me secure my role and I’m able to put my new skills into practice.
What opportunities are available to members?
The Youth Forum’s schedule is busy all year round. With charitable support, members have gained important life skills, including cooking on a budget, travelling independently and CV writing. Feedback has been fantastic, and I enjoy seeing members grow in confidence.
What difference is the Forum making to Alder Hey patients?
Throughout the year members carry out quality ward rounds. Accompanied by a senior nurse they will speak to patients and families to gather feedback on the ward. Members then use their voices to put forward improvements. Members regularly feature in training videos for new staff and recently took part in a virtual tour of the hospital. This online feature will help ease anxieties children may have ahead of their visit.
What does your new role involve?
I offer advice and support and encourage members to participate in as many opportunities as possible. Members look up to me as a role model, which is something I am incredibly proud of.
I also keep the Forum’s social media updated by sharing the latest activities and I really enjoy welcoming new members and helping them get settled in. The Forum is like a big family and I love being a part of it.
If you would like more about how you can support the Youth Forum, please contact:
jennifer.graham2@alderhey.nhs.uk
The Youth Forum influences change at Alder Hey, learns new skills and has fun!
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
TRACEY WILSON
Head of Philanthropy tracey.wilson@alderhey.nhs.uk 07903 705331
AMANDA JONES
Philanthropy Manager amanda.jones@alderhey.nhs.uk 07887 987311
JENNIFER GRAHAM
Philanthropy Fundraiser jennifer.graham2@alderhey.nhs.uk 07960 016737
CHARLI CANFER
Philanthropy Officer charli.canfer@alderhey.nhs.uk
©
Copyright 2024 Alder Hey Children’s Charity. Registered Charity Number 1160661
ADAM CHALLONER
Philanthropy Fundraiser adam.challoner@alderhey.nhs.uk
HELEN MURRAY
Philanthropy Support Lead helen.murray@alderhey.nhs.uk 07925 860267
KENNETH LEUNG
Philanthropy Assistant kenneth.leung@alderhey.nhs.uk