The North West is incredibly lucky to have a number of exceptional NHS trusts that serve our community. In particular Alder Hey stands as one of the most pioneering institutions globally, treating everything from the most common illnesses in Children through to highly complex and specialist conditions.

Serving the North West, with further specialist clinics across Merseyside, Cumbria, Shropshire, Wales and the Isle of Man, Alder Hey has made a difference to countless families lives for over 100 years.

At HCI we are proud to support Alder Hey, not least because a number of us have had direct exposure and support from Alder Hey over the years. Some of these experiences are detailed below;

Matt Wood - Supporting such as great cause as Alder Hey was an easy decision for me to make because of all the great work they do for families in the North West of England. Initially I was inspired to join the Three Peaks Challenge by my colleague.

I know how important this new unit will be for families across the North West. When my daughter Norah was born in June 2020, at the Countess of Chester, she was put on a ventilator and transferred to the neonatal ICU at Arrowe Park on the Wirral. We had a very nerve-wracking 48 hours, but fortunately me and my wife Jo we were sent home with a happy and healthy baby after 5 short days. This experience opened my eyes to the great work that neonatal units do; I recall sitting in the waiting room speaking to parents of premature babies who didn’t get to leave hospital shortly after the birth or even 5 days after, but had been visiting their child in the ICU week after week or month after month, waiting for them to grow stronger. Some had complex needs such as surgical intervention which required transfers to other hospitals including Alder Hey.

Personally, the Three Peaks is something I’ve always been keen to do, and as I will turn 40 in September next year this is an extra motivation for me achieve it before my 40th birthday and if I can raise some money for a cause as positive as Alder Hey in the process, it will further cap the achievement.

George Greenhaugh - I wanted to take part to support the excellent work that Alder Hey does for children every day.. My cousin and girlfriend received vital treatment at Alder Hey when they were younger and so the 3 Peaks is a chance not only to give something back for everything Alder Hey has done for people close to me but also to help other children to continue to get world class treatment going forward. On a personal note, I am also relishing the challenge of the three peaks and I am really looking forward to doing it with the team.

Zoe Lloyd -

Dan Potgeiter -

Jack Taylor - My wife and my experiences through pregnancy, birth and the early years with our 3 children have been fortunate in that we have experienced no significant health issues. Nonetheless, with minor issues ranging from a slightly early delivery, a breach and subsequent c-section delivery and a broken collarbone along the way, we have been extremely ably supported by the various local neo natal and children’s healthcare services.

I have therefore chosen to join the fund raising efforts on behalf of Alder Hey for a number of reasons, on the basis of my personal experiences. Equally, the opportunity to assist in raising funds for the Neo Natal ICU at Alder Hey is a very small token of gratitude in acknowledging how fortunate we are to have such an excellent service in our local area.

Megan Williams - I have decided to do this challenge as it has always been something that my partner, Ryan (Merrill) and I have wanted to do. It will mean us challenging ourselves and being able tick it off the list off the ‘bucket’ list so when my friend Nicola said she would be doing it this year after all the help she received from Alder Hey, we leapt at the opportunity to join her. It will be the second fundraising event I’ve done for Alder Hey, my best friend received treatment with Alder Hey when we were 12 years old, when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She had to undergo an 11-hour surgery and then travel to Oklahoma in America where she had radiotherapy. Without Alder Hey there’s a chance that things could’ve been totally different for my friend and her family, and she might not have been able to grow up to be the best sister she is today.

Annette Roberts - Signing up to the Three Peaks Challenge with my boyfriend and his colleagues at HCI was a decision I didn’t have to think twice about. Having received treatment from Alder Hey when I was a child I am aware of the vital high quality services and support they provide to children and their families. With this in mind alongside my love of hiking I feel humbled to be able to participate in the fundraising efforts and ready to push myself to complete the challenge!

Ross Travis - I am doing the challenge to raise money for Alder Hey, given the work they performed during operations on me and my brother aged 6 and 3. It was also the first hospital my brother visited, age 15 when he needed a knee operation after being injured during a football match. The work they do is amazing, positively impacting many families, and a cause I want to get behind, by giving something back.

To therefore both show our individual support in recognition of the specific individual experiences and also acknowledge the important role that Alder Hey plays in our community. 9 HCI representatives (and 4 associates, are therefore undertaking the 3 Peaks Challenge, which is walk/run/climb of the 3 highest peaks in Scotland, England & Wales within a 24 hour time period.

Our training, progress, general highs and lows and ultimately the final endeavour will be detailed and kept up-to-date via a blog (insert blog address) should you be interested in following the training progress and eventual results.

*Please remember to select the gift aid option which enables Alder Hey to claim additional tax relief from HMRC which will boost your donation by 25%*