Christmas Sponsorship Packages
Christmas is a time for excitement, magic and family. This year, many families across the UK will be in the warmth of their own homes, cuddled up by the fire, watching Christmas movies and eating mince pies.
Sadly, this will not be the experience for the brave young patients and their families who will be staying at Alder Hey over the upcoming Christmas period.
Though they won’t be in their own homes, we can strive to make Alder Hey feel like home this Christmas. With your help, we can ensure that Christmas at Alder Hey is as special as it possibly can be, full of warmth, excitement and magic.
To help us provide magic this Christmas, we’ve a selection of sponsorship opportunities across a range of price points. Each Christmas sponsorship opportunity comes with its own range of benefits such as logo placement and volunteering opportunities, which can be found in our brochure below.
From a giant Christmas tree in the atrium to sparkling decorations on the wards, and from choirs signing carols to Father Christmas and his elves in their grotto, there are many wonderous Christmas items that you could bring to the children at Alder Hey this December. Download our brochure below or contact our Corporate Fundraising Team corporate@alderhey.nhs.uk
What Does Christmas Mean to Our Families?
ReadOliver's Story
Told by Amelia, Oliver's mum:
Christmas 2021 was very different for our family, but I wouldn’t change it. Oliver’s 2nd Christmas was spent in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
After Oliver was admitted to hospital in early October for his 2nd open heart surgery, wenever thought we would still be in hospital on 25th December.
Everyone wants to be at home for Christmas surrounded by family, but that year the amazing staff at Alder Hey became our family, and they made it so magical.
The magic starts as soon as you enter the hospital, with the spectacular tree that lights up the atrium. One of my favourite memories is taking Oliver down to the atrium in the evening, when he was well enough to leave the ward, and when all was quiet in the hospital. When Oliver saw the tree for the first time, his eyes lit up as big as baubles.
As well as the huge Christmas tree downstairs, all the wards are also fabulously decorated with lots of twinkling lights and Christmas colours.
In particular I remember the corridors of PICU. If anyone has walked down that corridor, they will know that it seems like the longest corridor ever, but I remember coming out of Pod 1 one day, after sitting by Oliver’s side all day, and seeing that it has been beautifully decorated with Christmas trees and lights.
Alder Hey feels like a home from home at any time of the year for a lot of families, but for that Christmas it just felt so special and homely. We didn’t decorate our home that year as we spent all our time in the hospital, but it didn’t matter that our house was not decorated as because Alder Hey was our home, and it had been decorated so beautifully
The staff go above and beyond all year round at Alder Hey, but at Christmas they make it extra special. They sing songs, do crafts, and have lots of chocolate treats, all whilstwearing Christmas hats!
The most amazing thing is that Santa Claus himself comes and visits the wards. On social media you see your friends and family visiting grottos and their little ones sitting on Santa’s knee, and you wonder why your child is having to miss out. Well, Alder Hey had thought of that and my boy got a visit from Santa! Santa visiting Oliver’s room was so magical and is one of the happiest memories I have of our stay.
I love family Christmas traditions, and will always try to keep them going, even when faced with adversity. Each year we put our Alder Hey Matalan PJs on, have a little buffet on and watch Home Alone. Even when we were at Alder Hey, the nurses went above and beyond to make sure we could keep up with our little tradition – I took the buffet food into our room, the nurses fetched an extra table for us, with some paper plates and cutlery, and even some popcorn! Then we all gathered round to watch Home Alone on the iPad. It’s the little things like keeping tradition that help you feel at home, even when you are in hospital.
Waking up in Alder Hey on Christmas morning to a sack of toys at the end of the bed, and to be able to tell Oliver that Santa had found him even though he wasn’t at home was just wonderful. It was a huge surprise to receive so many lovely gifts, and Oliver loved opening them to see what Santa had brought. Seeing the generosity of people brought a tear to my eye - donating toys so children can wake up on Christmas morning knowing Santa had not forgotten about them really is beautiful.
Each year now we run a Christmas present appeal on Oliver’s social media and so many people go out and buy toys for the children at Alder Hey. It’s amazing to be able to pay back some of the generosity and kindness that was shown to us.
It’s so important for Alder Hey to keep on creating memories for children and parents as it’s so hard being in hospital over Christmas, but with the decorations, toys at the end of the bed and Christmas cheer all around, the Christmas memories can still be made at Alder Hey.
ReadAlba's Story
Told by Alejandra, Alba's mum:
Christmas time at Alder Hey hospital was not what we expected. My daughter, Alba, spent the run up to her first Christmas there, but we were blessed to have her discharged just two days before the Christmas Day.
Despite being a hospital, Alder Hey feels nothing like one; it's a place where children are always at the heart of everything. Even though many children and their families are going through some of their toughest times, the hospital is filled with Christmas spirit. The staff dedication to creating a joyful atmosphere brings hope and warmth, making the festive period feel special and uplifting for everyone.
After the love, kindness and generosity we’ve been shown by everyone at Alder Hey, our family are so proud to support a Christmas appeal each year to ensure that children who have to spend Christmas away from home still receive gifts and are able to experience the magic of the season.
ReadTheo's Story
Told by Fauve, Theo's mum:
Theo has been through so much in his young life.He was just 7 months old when his first Christmas came along, having already been through a lotin his little life, and spending a lot of time in hospital. We were so excited for his first Christmas, and even more so because it was going to be spent at home!!
However, Theo caught a virus in the November and needed to be admitted to Alder Hey for what we were hoping were overnight observations. I remember it well because it was the night of the Christmas light switch on, which is usually such a happy occasion, but naturally my head was elsewhere. Sadly, we didn't get home the following day, and instead we spent the next four months in hospital, withthe entire lead-up to Christmas being spent on ward 1C.
What should have been one of the most special times of the year turned into one of the scariest and most upsetting. Five days before Christmas, Theo went into cardiac arrest whilst on the ward.Thankfully the incredible staff were able to resuscitate him, but it meant that we spent Christmas in intensive care with a very poorly Theo. We didn't know if he would survive, and it was an incredibly emotional and stressful time.
The team at Alder Hey were nothing short of incredible. They made sure Christmas was never forgotten, even when we couldn’t make it happen ourselves because our priority was Theo's health and being by his bedside. The hospital came alive with Christmas events in the atrium, with visits from Father Christmas, advent calendar deliveries, and beautiful decorations on the ward. Alder Hey helped us forget our worries for a little while and allowed us to celebrate the magic of Christmas. They helped make life feel a little more normal. If you've ever had a poorly child in hospital at Christmas, you'll know how desperately you want to be at home, celebrating Christmas like everyone else.
On Christmas morning, we arrived at Theo's bedside in the intensive care unit to find a handmade Christmas card with his footprints (crafted by the nurses), Christmas bedding on his bed, and the team wearing Christmas scrubs with some Christmas music playing. There was even a sack full of presents for Theo - gifts that we hadn't even been able to think about buying. It was the most special time in such a challenging place. I can't express how thankful we were as a family. Celebrating Theo's first Christmas felt magical, and without the amazing Alder Hey team, it would have been unbearable.
As Theo has grown older, he's unfortunately spent more time as an inpatient in Alder Hey around Christmas. The magic of Christmas at Alder Hey has always meant that he's been distracted from the stress and the trauma of being in hospital and been able to get lost in the holiday spirit - just like every child should.