Alder Hey House
The Trustees of the Alder Hey Family House Trust and Ronald McDonald House Charities UK are delighted that Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey has joined the wider Ronald McDonald House Charities UK family.
Alder Hey Family House Trust and Ronald McDonald House Charities UK
Joining Ronald McDonald House Charities UK gives Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey further access to resource, expertise, funding, and financial savings, helping the House respond to increasing demands and better able to plan for the future. The two charities share the same purpose and are a part of the same global network of charities – providing a ‘home away from home’ and support for families with children in hospital.
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Ronald McDonald House Charities UK is a national charity, and remains committed to local impact. We work with 13 NHS partner hospitals at major children’s centres.
Joining Ronald McDonald House Charities UK will result in future enhancements to the quality of accommodation provided in the Alder Hey House as well as additional services and support. It will see savings in administration, meaning more of your donations can go towards the front line service.
Donations will continue to support families from Merseyside and beyond, across the UK network of 13 Ronald McDonald Houses, including Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey. In the last five years, Ronald McDonald House Charities UK have accommodated over 500 families from Merseyside in one of their Houses.
Globally, the Ronald McDonald House Charities organisation has been helping families since 1974.
FAQs
Q. What is Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey?
A. Affectionately known locally as ‘Mac House’, Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey has 84 bedrooms providing free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with children in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey opened in 1993 and is the largest Ronald McDonald House in Europe. The running costs each year are close to £750,000.
Every year more than 2,000 families come through the doors. The Ronald McDonald House offers support and a safe place, just a stone’s throw away from the hospital, as families experience the toughest time of their lives.
Q. What is Ronald McDonald House Charities UK?
A. Ronald McDonald House Charities UK is an independent charity providing free ‘home away from home’ accommodation and support for families with children in hospital. The Charity currently runs 12 Ronald McDonald Houses at partnered NHS Hospitals, offering up to 425 rooms for families.
Families can stay in a Ronald McDonald House for as long as they need to. All but one of our Houses are open 365 days a year and all are equipped with everything you would find in a family home. Families can get a good night’s sleep, prepare their own meals and feel at home, knowing that they are only moments away from their child. As well as ensuite bedrooms, we provide communal facilities such as kitchens, dining rooms, playrooms, laundry facilities and outdoor space. Our staff also run activities and events for children staying in our Houses and to bring families together.
Q. Why have the two charities agreed to merge?
A. Both charities have a shared long-term goal of ensuring the families that stay with us enjoy a home away from home environment. With a combined experience of almost 60 years we know we can achieve more together. By bringing together our passion, expertise and funds we can continue to provide a ‘home away from home’ at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for as long as our families need one.
Q. What is the relationship between Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey and Ronald McDonald House Charities UK?
A. Ronald McDonald House Charities UK was fundamental in the setting up of Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey 25 years ago in 1993. The Charity donated £1 million towards the construction of the House. At that time, Ronald McDonald House Charities UK was helping to fund and setup Houses but not actively running the day-to-day operations, so the Alder Hey Family House Trust was set up as an independent charity to run Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey.
Both Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey and Ronald McDonald House Charities UK hold licenses from Ronald McDonald House Charities Global headquarters, based in Chicago. The charities have the same purpose and provide a ‘home away from home’ and support for families with children in hospital.
Q. I am currently staying at Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey – what is going to change for me?
A. At the moment nothing will change, and we will still be providing a ‘home away from home’ for those who need us. You may even notice a few new friendly faces around the House who will be working to make your stay as comfortable as possible, putting our families at the heart of everything they do.
Q. I am a current fundraiser who is supporting Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey – what is going to change for me?
A. Thank you for raising funds to support Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey. We are incredibly grateful to all our donors and supporters for the phenomenal support and loyalty over the last 28 years, and have even been lucky enough to already speak to some loyal supporters who are excited to support the House on its new journey.
For those currently supporting Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey, nothing will change at the moment. We understand that many supporters are currently using online fundraising platforms such as Just Giving. We are very grateful for your support and if you have already registered a page to fundraise there is no need to change anything at the moment and we will continue to keep in contact with you throughout your fundraising.
Q. I am a current regular giver who supports Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey – what is going to change for me?
A. Thank you for making regular donations. We will be in touch to let you know when details, such as bank information, is changing, so that you can continue to support not only the families that stay at the House in the heart of Liverpool, but now many other families too, including those from Liverpool who travel to hospitals across the UK.
We also recognise many supporters like to make an annual donation in memory of a loved one. We now ask that all future donations are made via www.rmhc.org.uk/donate.
For those that make regular payments via Charities Trust or CAF you will be contacted directly by them to inform you of the next steps.
Q. I am a current lottery player who supports Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey – what is going to change for me?
A. Thank you for playing our charity lottery. At the moment nothing will change for our lottery players. You can continue playing and supporting families at Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey. If there are going to be any changes, we will contact you.
Q. I have signed up to do a Challenge event for Ronald McDonald House Alder hey in 2022, will this still go ahead?
A. Thank you for signing up to one of our events. Our events will continue as planned for 2022. You will be contacted by one of the RMHC events team and given all the support you need. We are very grateful for your support and if you have already registered a page to support us, there is no need to change anything at the moment and we will continue to keep in contact with you throughout your fundraising. If you have not set up a fundraising page yet you can begin fundraising by choosing Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey on Justgiving. If you need any support in setting up your page, please call 0151 252 5869.
Q. I have fundraised for Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey who do I contact to handover the funds?
A. Thank you for raising funds for us. Cash donations can still be brought into the House as normal. From the date the House became part of Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, 27 April 2022 we ask that you please make cheques payable to RMHC UK and send to RMHC UK, 6 Victoria Road, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1SY.
If you are able to Gift Aid your donation, please complete a gift aid declaration form via our website: www.rmhc.org.uk/giftaid.
Q. How do I now start fundraising for you?
A. Thank you for considering fundraising for us. If you have decided to fundraise for Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey and you are yet to set up a fundraising page, you can begin fundraising by choosing Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey on Justgiving. If you need any support in setting up your page, please contact 0151 252 5869.
Q. Can I ring-fence my donation to the Alder Hey House after they become part of Ronald McDonald House Charities UK?
A. Donors would be discouraged from ring-fencing their gift but it would be considered on a case by case basis, mainly for very large donations. Just like any charity, Ronald McDonald House Charities UK needs to spend donations where they are most needed; this would include reinvestment in Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey.
Q. How do I access information about Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey after the integration?
A. The Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey Facebook page will remain open. You will also be able to keep updated with news from all Houses, the families we help, and events and fundraising opportunities by signing up to the RMHC UK newsletter above. There will also be information about the Alder Hey House added to the ‘Our Houses’ page on the RMHC UK website.
Q. If I have previously provided my contact details to Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey will I still receive information from them?
A. We recognise it is important to keep you updated about what we do with your data; Ronald McDonald House Charities UK shares the same vision as Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey and we are committed to treating it with respect and keeping it safe. Personal data provided to Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey will continue to be processed, for the same purposes, but with Ronald McDonald House Charities UK named as the ‘Data Controller’ under the Data Protection Act 2018.
This may mean some of the methods we use to collect and look after your personal data will change. Please be reassured, we will continue to treat your personal data with respect, we will continue to keep it safe and we will only process it for the purposes you gave it to us.
To read more about the transfer of personal data and find out what this means for you please read our Notice of Transfer.
Q. I am a volunteer, what happens now?
A. Thank you for giving your time to support us. We wouldn’t be able to operate without our wonderful volunteers and are so grateful for your support and loyalty over the years. At the moment our volunteer roles will remain unchanged and we are excited for you to join us on this exciting journey. If you have any questions, please speak to a member of the House team.