11 years into our partnership and the grand fundraising total stands at over £4.4million!
The partnership between Matalan and Alder Hey Children’s Charity started back in 2014, with Matalan pledging a five-year fundraising campaign to raise funds for Alder Hey’s new Research and Innovation Centre – Institute in the Park.
The first year saw the arrival of the Alphabet Scarves – a celebrity-led global campaign, with ‘Bobble vs Beanie’ launching the following year in 2015. 2016 saw the first pyjama collection, #GetYourStripes, instantly becoming a firm favourite with families across the UK, ultimately creating the now eagerly anticipated ‘Matalan & Alder Hey Pyjama Campaign’ which Matalan customers have grown to know and love, and cannot wait to get their hands on year after year!
Matalan continue to raise vital funds for Alder Hey Children’s Charity – 11 years into our partnership and the grand fundraising total stands at over £4.4million!
Within this time, Matalan are also proud to have backed the ‘7in10 Children’s Mental Health Appeal’, achieved a Guinness World Record for the most people linked whilst completing a 5k, as part of the ‘Together for Alder Hey’ campaign in 2019, and supported the Alder Hey Surgical Neonatal Appeal.
As well as working incredibly hard to create fun and successful campaigns year on year – and sharing their immense knowledge and experience along the way – the staff at Matalan have taken on their own fundraising challenges to support Alder Hey Children’s Charity. From bake sales to abseils, and everything in between, the Matalan staff have been incredible, and we couldn’t be prouder to be on this journey with them.
Matalan 2024
The exclusive Matalan x Alder Hey Children’s Charity collection is back for its 11th year. With a brand new design for 2024, the family pyjama range includes matching unisex nightwear for adults and children, as well as sleepsuits for babies – there’s even a jumper for the dog!
The new design boasts positive quotes such as ‘Shine Bright’ and ‘Dream Big’ in addition to colourful stars, rainbows, spots and of course our charity mascot ‘Oli the Elephant’.
Read the stories from some of our young patients, their families and our hospital staff who got involved in this years campaign.
The Stars of the Show!
ReadDivyansh and Dreeti's Story
Divyansh and Dreeti’s mum and dad Jivika and Himanshu both work at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Jivika as a Research Data Manager and Himanshu in Healthcare.
Their baby twins were born at just 33 weeks gestation at Liverpool Women’s Hospital before being transferred to Alder Hey for specialist treatment. After treatment mum and dad were asked if they would agree to the twins taking part in two different research studies. The first is a study looking at a new medicine to prevent a common, potentially serious, respiratory illness and is known as the HARMONIE study. The second study is about a new type of tablet that could be easier for children to swallow, known as the CAMEO study.
The HARMONIE research is an ongoing study across France, Germany and the UK, looking for a new medicine which protects against RSV, one of the most frequent causes of hospitalisation in babies and young people across the world. CAMEO is a 2024 study to discover if children (especially under 4) can swallow minitablets when mixed in soft food, as lots of children do not like the taste of oral liquid medicines which can make additional doses harder to take.
Mum Jivika said “Taking part in the research studies has been easy and accessible for us as a family. There’s an annual visit, and a few follow up calls. If the children have a cold, a cough or anything similar, I need to report it, which is all done via an app which is really easy to use. The staff have been really helpful, with plenty of follow-ups and lots of care and consideration for the twins.
The team at Alder Hey have been absolutely incredible and have made the twins feel at ease during each visit. We are very grateful for the care that they received.”
Divyansh and Dreeti are now happy little toddlers who love watching ‘Cocomelon’ on TV, going to the park and making new friends. Soon, the twins will be heading to nursery – exciting times ahead!
Jivika and Himansu also have a 13-year-old daughter, who was also treated at Alder Hey.
“When our 13 year old was born, she had a clicky hip as well as a lactose intolerance, which wasn’t quite as easy to navigate back then as it is now. When I compare Alder Hey’s research and facilities from 13 years ago, the difference is so vast – it’s incredible how far it’s come.
Alder Hey is such a huge part of our lives – we feel very honoured to be a part of this year’s Matalan/Alder Hey campaign. Everyone was very welcoming, and we had a great day!”
ReadCaleb's Story
Caleb is just 14 months old and lives with his mum and dad in Wrexham. It was discovered he had a congenital heart defect before he was born and was diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect that affects how the heart works, and spina bifida, which is when a baby’s spinal cord doesn’t develop properly in the womb, causing a gap in the spine.
Soon after being born at his local hospital in Wrexham, Caleb started to have cyanotic (blue) spells due to low oxygen and was soon referred to Alder Hey, where he spent time on a ventilator in intensive care. It was during this time that him mum and dad Keeley and James were approached about taking part in research. The ongoing GASTRIC-PICU study is focusing on seeing whether the common practice of sucking out stomach contents to assess feeding was useful or not. One of the main reasons that a child does not receive adequate nutrition is the frequent measurements taken, which can lead to the unnecessary stopping of feeds. Caleb was the first ever participant in this trial and even has a certificate to show for it!
In March 2024, Caleb had an operation to fix the hole in his heart, open a valve to his lungs, and trim a thick muscle from the side of his heart.
Mum Keeley said “Caleb received the best care and treatment throughout. We were happy to part of the research study as it may contribute to better medical care for future children like Caleb, we’re looking forward to see the overall outcome of the study. There truly aren’t enough words to describe how grateful we are for the amazing staff at Alder Hey who have given Caleb a better quality of life. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much. Thank you to the research study teams too who work so hard to ensure the best treatments and technology is beneficial for patients.”
After recovering in Alder Hey for 6 weeks, Caleb is now thriving. The blue spells have stopped, and he has all the energy of a happy, healthy little boy. He enjoys watching Donald Duck on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and loves going for walks so he can watch the cars go past. He also enjoys play dates every week with his younger cousin Jude, who lives close by.
Keeley said “We’re so excited to be part of this year’s Matalan campaign which is for such an amazing cause. It’s lovely that something positive has come out of a very painful, hard first year of Caleb’s life. A bittersweet moment ❤️ Caleb loves his new pyjamas!”
ReadAbout Our Alder Hey Staff
In photo order (left to right):
Dr. Gerri Sefton is a Consultant Nurse in children’s intensive care who has led a large study to increase awareness in real-time about the children in hospital who are deteriorating so that they can get help quickly.
Physician Associate Silothabo Dliso works with various teams to provide support in the development and delivery of research studies. Silothabo has a passion for improving equality, diversity and inclusion in research and is collaborating with people both inside and outside the Trust to make participation in research more equitable for all.
Lyvonne Tume is a Professor of Critical Care Nursing and has led many studies over the last 10 years aimed at making children’s intensive care safer. She believes it is essential that nurses study the effects and effectiveness of the interventions we deliver to make care safer and more effective for children and young people.
Senior Physiotherapist Reshma Sule has a specialist interest in Early Identification and Early Intervention for infants born with medical needs that put them at risk of neurodisability. She is currently leading a study that aims to understand parent perspectives and priorities at neurodevelopmental follow ups.
