Alder Hey

£3 million donated

Over the years, IFCF has donated over £3 million to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, one of Europe’s leading specialist children’s hospitals, caring for around 900 children each day.

This long‑standing partnership has extended beyond funding, with IFCF working closely with Alder Hey clinicians, chefs and nutritionists to support families through practical health initiatives. These include the development of nutritious children’s meal ranges such as Little Explorer Meals and Hungry Heroes, as well as preventative healthcare campaigns like Let’s Get Brushing, promoting good oral health.

The partnership has also supported a wide range of projects, from cutting‑edge medical equipment and vital research to distraction therapy toys that help improve the hospital experience for young patients. Between 2005 and 2009, IFCF’s fundraising efforts played a key role in supporting pioneering developments at Alder Hey, including the children’s cancer unit in the hospital’s former building.

Let's get brushing

Improving Children's Oral Health

In February 2026, IFCF, working with Colgate and Alder Hey Children’s Charity, launched Let’s Get Brushing — a nationwide campaign created in response to the growing children’s oral‑health crisis in the UK. Tooth decay remains the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged 5–9, despite being almost entirely preventable, with children in the most deprived communities disproportionately affected.

 

The campaign aimed to remove practical barriers to oral care while making oral‑health education engaging and accessible for families. Every Iceland store across the UK distributed free teeth‑cleaning kits, giving parents and carers simple tools to support healthy brushing habits from an early age.

Alder Hey Children’s Charity brought expert advice to life through child‑friendly in‑store posters displayed on a freezer in every Iceland store. Designed to capture children’s attention, the posters featured fun questions and simple challenges to encourage positive brushing routines, alongside QR codes linking directly to Alder Hey’s trusted oral‑health guidance.

This interactive approach helped spark curiosity, conversation and positive behaviour at home, while reinforcing Alder Hey’s wider commitment to children’s oral health, including initiatives such as Mini Mouth Care Matters, which provides free mouth‑care packs for children staying in hospital for more than 24 hours.

By combining free resources, engaging educational materials and Alder Hey’s clinical expertise, Let’s Get Brushing sought to raise awareness, support preventative care and help reduce oral‑health inequalities.

Little Explorers Range

In April 2025, Iceland – working in association with Mumsnet and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital – proudly launched the Little Explorers range, a collection of nutritious, affordable meals designed for children aged 1 and above. Supported by IFCF, this initiative aims to promote healthy eating habits from an early age, helping families make better food choices during the most formative years of a child’s development.

Each £2 meal is packed with vegetables, free from added sugars, salt, and artificial ingredients, and created with input from Alder Hey nutritionists and chefs. Five pence  from every sale goes directly to Alder Hey, and IFCF has pledged a match-funded donation of £50,000 to further support the hospital’s vital work-making Little Explorers a meaningful investment in children’s health and wellbeing.

Hungry Heroes

In 2017, Iceland Foods deepened its commitment to children’s health and wellbeing by continuing its support for Alder Hey Children’s Charity. Through its popular Hungry Heroes’ product range, Iceland pledged to donate five pence from every item sold, directly contributing to the charity’s efforts.

These funds played a crucial role in sustaining Alder Hey’s pioneering ward chef service – an initiative unique to the hospital’s state-of-the-art facility, ‘Alder Hey in the Park’. The ward chefs work closely with young patients and their families to provide nutritious, comforting meals tailored to individual needs, helping to make hospital stays more positive and personal. Iceland’s contribution helped ensure this vital service could continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of children receiving care.

It is an honour to be partnered with the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation as we share a purpose – we both exist to improve the lives of families. Through their incredible support of our Imagine Appeal, raising over £3m, they have advanced our pioneering medical work as well as brought a more vibrant environment for our young patients and their families. Working with such generous people gives us hope for a healthier future for all.

Fiona Ashcroft

CEO, Alder Hey Children's Charity