Share your thoughts on Matalan’s Alder Hey campaigns - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Having earned themselves a Mumsnet Family Friendly gold award, Matalan understand how to provide a great customer experience for families. However, what you might not know is that for the past 3 years they have also been working in partnership with Alder Hey Children’s hospital in Liverpool, to fund a life-saving innovation centre, for much needed research into finding cures for childhood conditions such as arthritis, cancer and diabetes.

So far in a bid to raise funds, Matalan have run campaigns selling alphabetical scarves, beanie and bobble hats, and striped pyjamas - with lots of big name celebrities getting involved too!

Matalan say “The partnership between Alder Hey and Matalan has been going for 3 years now. Back in 2014 we set about raising awareness of the hospital charity and how even though they are a North West based hospital they are in fact one of the busiest children’s hospital in Europe - treating children from right across the UK. As well as driving awareness we committed to raise £1.5M towards the new research and innovation centre that would benefit children across the country and in some cases the world. In just 3 years we've already smashed that target, raising £1.6M.”

Now Matalan want to hear your thoughts on their campaigns so far, as well as hearing your ideas for what products they would like to see in stores next year to help raise even more money.

Do take some time to watch the documentary about one of the children that has been helped by the new research centre and to find out more. Share on this thread which have been your favourite of the Matalan & Alder Hey campaigns so far and why? Have you ever purchased any of these products in the past or would you consider doing so in the future? The team at Matalan are also keen to hear your ideas for their future campaigns, so please add to the thread below with your ideas for future projects.

Previous campaigns include Alphabet Scarves in 2014, Bobble vs Beanie in 2015 and Get your Stripes PJs in 2016

Add your thoughts on the campaigns to date and your ideas on what they can do this year and you will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will get a £300 Love2Shop voucher (which can be spent in Matalan and other stores!).

Thanks and good luck
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I haver only just discovered this, a wonderful idea, Alder Hey is a superb hospital, I wish other Companies would do similar. Well done Matalan!

I wasn't aware of this campaign but will definitely support it in future, I think it's a great partnership.

I thought the recent 'Get your stripes' campaign was interesting, the nightwear was bright coloured and drew attention.

It's a wonderful achievement by Matalan to support the work done by Alder Hey. Such a worthy cause, as shown by the video of Lily, from Southport, who lives within a few miles of us. It must be dreadful when your child becomes ill at such an early age, and to have the resources of Alder Hey Hospital within a few miles is more than you can hope for.

The research work they do is exceptional, ground-breaking new treatments are made available following on from their work. The contribution by Matalan must be so helpful for the experts in their pioneering work.

Ideas for new campaigns could include bright, shiny bags for life, children's accessories, (handbags and purses), all in similar colour schemes and patterns which children and their parents can collect. The items prominently displayed in the aisles in store, and also stunning window displays to draw attention.

Wishing Alder Hey's initiatives lots of success, helped immensely by support from Matalan and customers.

This is a really worthwhile campaign, but this is the first I have heard of it. I'm sure people would love to support it if they knew more about it - maybe a big push through social channels to raise wider awareness

A fantastic worthy campaign, all the products are very good quality just need to get more stock, a great partnership!

I wasn't aware of the 2014 and 2015 campaigns, although I did know about the 2016 Get Your Stripes one from a friend on social media who works at Alder Hey.

I think they are a great idea and I think the partnership really works - particularly the PJ one being around Christmas when lots of people are buying new PJ's for Christmas Day and I liked how the whole family could get involved at a reasonable price.

How about a homeware campaign next - mugs or cushions, something that people would buy more than one of? Candles or blankets in winter would be something that would appeal to me personally and could be nicely themed in a similar way to Get Your Stripes.

I wasn't aware of this campaign, but now I am I will spread the word about it to all my friends and family as it is such a great cause... Well done Matalan!

Love Alder Hey - my youngest had a couple of operations and we're still under their care.

Also loved the campaigns, though missed the boat on the pjs!

I'd love more pyjamas, tote bags, t-shirts/jumpers, baby vests/baby gros, blankets/bedding

Also more publicising would help (tv, social media?) - but not before I've bought mine please

I wasn't aware of this campaign at all, and wonder if it's because I am in Scotland.

Because it has been very popular, there weren't enough pyjamas made and when you need to buy for more than one child and one size is available but not another it puts you off. So I would say please continue along the same theme but let's have more choice and availability of products. Also, although the campaign is evident in Matalan stores I don't remember seeing it publicised elsewhere and it would possibly be something that would draw non-Matalan shoppers into the store.

I think it's fantastic, I wasnt aware of this and would be far more likely to shop in matalan in future

Its a great idea but please produce enough items to go around as greedy people buy them up and sell them for a huge price on ebay.x

Any time that a company with a large profile ( such as Matalan ) supports a charity in such a commited way, it is a win win scenario. It is only a positive thing for all concerned. My only observation is that "I didn't know". Perhaps Matalan should do a bit more self promotion. I actually bought one of the alphabet scarves, and didnt register the significance of it at the time. Well done Matalan, you should be proud

Heartwarming and yet frustrating that our health service has to rely on such initiatives

Amazing - love the scarves

I think my biggest suggestion would be more stock. Each campaign there's been huge demand that couldn't be met. The scarves I could never get mine or DS's initial, and the pjs I got 1 set when I needed 3.

I think the xmas pjs were hugely successful. Maybe xmas themed family onesies for 2017? I think the pjs were popular as everyone thought they'd make a good family selfie moment, surely the more you sell, the better. I think people were frustrated by the lack of stock on the last campaign.

I think it's fab of Matalan to support Alderhey.

First I've heard of the campaign - will look out for it as its a worthy cause

It's a great campaign that I wanted to support but as pp have said stock levels seem to be an issue. Couldn't get anything in popular sizes.
Matalan fleecy blankets for about £5-10 are really good quality and I would defo buy one for the campaign. Ditto more scarves and pj/ onsies.

Other ideas: mugs, bags, stationary, kitchenware
I'm sure there are others but I can't think

I wasn't aware of this campaign before reading about it here. It sounds like a great partnership for a very worthy cause. The products sound great too. I'll be keeping an eye out in the future.

I had never heard of this until now - what a great campaign - well done Matalan. Ideas for the future - lunch boxes, sports bottles or reusable coffee mugs, pjs again, fleece blankets, tote bags, wellies.

Any campaign or activity undertaken in support of health care and research into future innovations is highly commendable, particularly where it is directly helping children. Being from the North West of England, I know of children who have unfortunately needed to visit Alder Hey and the wonderful work they do, so a big thumbs up to Matalan and the next time we are in our local store we will support the cause.

Great campaign with proceeds going to a wonderful cause, as a mother I think anything that advances medical research for childhood illnesses is well worth supporting. I did see the pj's in a few photos posted by celebs and thought they looked cute, and the colours were very 'christmassy' ... suggestions I have are similar to others already stated, tote bags, mugs, onesies, blankets, socks.

I really like the idea but have never managed to purchase any as they have been sold out. I think anything that could be shared by the whole family would be a brilliant idea, cosy and personalised is the way to go!!

Fabulous idea I as upset that the pj sold out in the sizes I needed before Christmas - would be great if similar schemes supported local hospitals or charities - great initiative xxx

i saw this in store and my son has actually been a patient at alder hey, i think its a very worthy cause.
i think it would be good to add a few clothing items in each seasons range with a set amount going to this charity