Inside Skiddle’s visit to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital

Earlier this year, some of our staff visited Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. 

While we love to help promoters deliver the best gigs, club nights and festivals, raising money for causes close to our hearts is something we’re really passionate about. 

But what brought Skiddle and Alder Hey together?

Well, back in 2019, our co-founder Ben Sebborn and some of our team scaled the heights of Peru’s Inca Trail. They spent five days climbing approximately 52km across three high mountain passes. The highest one being 4,200m. The team raised over £32,000 for Alder Hey, and the company as a whole were extremely grateful to be able to give the hospital that money. 

Alder Hey works alongside the NHS to improve the experience of children in their care and the technology in place to support them; through innovation in practices, medical equipment, on-site mental health facilities, research, and much more – next up being a new neonatal surgical unit.

The 110-year-old festival treats 33,000 children each year, with the helipad-accessible A&E department treating 60,000. 

The team were shown Alder Hey’s Innovation Centre. It’s an extension to the hospital, presenting a range of ways technology can aid doctors and patients throughout treatment and recovery. 

Here, they viewed a 3D printer, which threaded together a prototype surgical tool as the team observed an array of instruments and anatomical replicas built from scans to assist with surgery. Alder Hey staff told our team about these printed models, explaining how they’ve assisted surgeons in real-life work. 

Insights into virtual reality were also on the tour. Like most, our team understood VR from an entertainment. However, what they saw here was markedly different. They opened a virtual version of a ribcage, presenting and expanding the heart and lungs, seeing right inside the organs.

Something a little more familiar to our team was the digital platforms developed at Alder Hey. Topics like push notifications and .csv files were on the agenda, alongside the hospital’s ‘Little Heart’s At Home’ program, which allows for accurate monitoring when patients go home after treatment. 

Alder Hey also uses technology to teach patients. The ‘Alder Hey Play’ platform informs patients about their treatment in an engaging and informative manner. It aims to be honest about the scary aspects of being in hospital, but ultimately lets the children know they’re in the best place for treatment. 

The team felt the passion behind the work at Alder Hey. But it’s no doubt that the work they carry out costs money. Fundraising is vital, helping the hospital continue its work and carry out research. The more money the charity can raise, the more can be put into the hospital. Please consider donating where you can, and next time you go through the Skiddle checkout, look out for the checkbox to contribute to the Alder Hey neonatal surgical unit appeal. Your donations will be greatly appreciated. 

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