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 also liked the fact that Alderhey was chosen. I live in the North-West so have heard of its work. I couldn't get any PJs as there were none in store when I tried. Anything personalised is always popular. Maybe alphabet socks!

What a wonderful campaign, helping us indirectly help those in need.

Ideas for future:
Summer hats, to 'protect yourself '( from the sun)
'Hey' slogan T-shirts
Tote bags, with slogan ' Hey bag (a donation)'.
'Sweet Enough' T-shirt, referring to diabetes
Socks, with slogan, 'Best Foot Forward'

My grandparents met at Alder Hey! I didn't know if the campaign till now but suggest teddy bears as my nan loved them

Well, I feel I'e missed out here - don't remember this at all... even though I've been in Matalan and bought stuff - maybe just at the wrong times. Also maybe it will be more well known/popular nearer to the hospital. (I'm down south!)
Would gloves and mittens be a good idea?

Wow - I had no idea of the amazing work that Alder Hey are doing, great video. I also have never heard before of these campaigns (admittedly, don't go in Matalan as I never managed to keep the card safe that you need to shop there) but if I had known I would definitely supported, especially scarfs & PJ's.
Idea's for the future - a range of socks perhaps, dressing gowns to go with the PJ's

Been well aware of the past 3 campaigns. Got a scarf but no hats, and the p sets were like hens teeth. My local store (Liverpool Sefton) had their displays very visible on entering the store. Don't recall seeing it advertised out of store though. Late Nov is a good time as like to buy my nieces things like these but agree with others that lack of stock can mean don't buy any as need 4 different sizes or letters. Blankets, water bottles or mugs or beakers would be good

To be honest, I had no idea matalan were supporting Alder Hay.

I wasn't even sure what Alder Hay was until I watched the videos, but think it sounds like a great cause.

All of my fundraising goes to leukaemia research but I would be happy to buy scarfs, socks PJs etc if it's for a good cause.

Love the campaign, future suggestions, initial Christmas stockings Knitted scandi style, advent calendars, mugs.

made a journey to Alder hey hospital to try and get the pjs from the shop but all done apart from newborn, but did pick up slipper socks scarves and a lovely ragdoll which my granddaughter loves

I wasn't aware of the partnership until I read this, despite shopping at Matalan a few times per year. I think it's a brilliant idea.
So I'd like to suggest raising the profile of future campaigns in new ways; perhaps a reference in Eastenders/Coronation St/Casualty storylines, Christmas season pantomimes and perhaps Prince George and Princess Charlotte would look cute in the pyjamas?

Hi all, just a quick message from Matalan below:

Thank you for all of your lovely comments and brilliant ideas for future campaigns. We’d just like to respond to a couple of posts on the thread regarding the incident at Rana Plaza. We want to share that Matalan did contribute to a Monthly Reserve Fund to provide a regular income for the living needs of families, as well as providing medical insurance cover to help to ensure that the cost of any medical care would be taken care of for the five years following the tragedy. In the years since the awful incident, Matalan have continued to drive forward their corporate social responsibility programme, investing in initiatives at home and abroad to improve how we work and the experience of those who work with them including opening the School of Hope in Bangladesh alongside our partners, Hope Worldwide Bangladesh and PDS Group. The school aims to educate, empower and inspire children and young adults in Dhaka, Bangladesh, helping them to build a better future for them and their families. Find out more about the school of hope here:

I have huge respect for the work done at Alder Hey and think it's great that a national store has chosen to support the hard working team there.

The Mumsnet Christmas bargain threads made me aware of the campaign- the scarves last year and the pjs this year were very popular, affordable gifts.

I'd love to see more items throughout the year in their Spring/Summer collections.

I think the idea is great, and to be honest should be copied by other large retailers if they had any sense.
I worked for Matalan back in the day when they were starting out, and were expanding, and so used to meet the Hargreaves family regularly when they came for visits and store openings etc. I appreciate that for them, Alder Hay is a local charity, and I think these campaigns are a great way for the family to highlight the charity and raise much needed funds. It makes me feel that even after all these years, the 'family' is still very much part of the Matalan brand.
Ideas for improvement? Greater stock availability, those pajamas were fantastic and I loved the idea that the whole family could get the same ones - but they sold out so quickly!

We don't have a local Matalan, so I wasn't aware of the campaigns. Things like pyjamas/t shirts/socks/pants are all good novelty items imo - I wouldn't buy a hat or more expensive clothing item

I've shopped at my local Matalan every few months for the last couple of years, but wasn't aware of the capaign until now.

A tie in with kids school stuff might be good.

I think the work matalan has done with alder hey has been very memorable particularly the scarves campaign. They were great quality and if I recall received a lot of press coverage. I think maybe pin badges at the tills and items for babies such as baby hats and baby grows. Possibly also summer t-shirt and hats for little people - I would buy this sort of product in aid of alder hey

I remember the previous campaigns but never actually purchased any of the items. I think its great that Alder Hay are teaming up with Matalan to raise money and awareness but I think maybe including some smaller/lower priced items as part of the collection would help, maybe personalised keyrings and trolley tokens or something similar which more people would purchase and also provide ongoing awareness when used? I look forward to seeing the new range and more about the great work that is done at Alder Hey

I also didn't know about any of these campaigns or Matalan's link to Alder Hey. I'm not local so that may be why. However I love the video and the work you're doing so will be looking out for them in future

I am very much in favour of supporting the work done at Alder Hey although I had not heard of the campaign.. This may be because we live hundreds of miles from Liverpool and Matalan stores are thin on the ground here too. I think blankets are a good idea.

What a great campaign and huge respect to Alder Hey. The products are great little gifts as well.

I am aware of the campaign and coming from Liverpool I have great respect for the hospital. I think its a good idea and I would introduce a toiletry range and a big cosy throw. When my daughter was in hospital I used to take a throw to wrap up in on the hospital chair next to her bed. Fun things to like kids toothbrushes and cups would sell well I think.
I hope lots of money is raised for this amazing hospital.

This campaign has completely passed me by which I'm disappointed about as it's such a good cause. I always buy my daughter new Christmas Eve PJs so annual PJs would get my vote every year as I wouldn't have to search around to find any each year, I think there would be a guaranteed market.

We love the Matalan campaigns. My daughter had heart surgery and was cared for at alder hey before she tragically died so we like to fundraise and support them as much as we can in her memory.

The scarves were excellent and we hunted out all the appropriate letters and gave them as Christmas presents to all our family.

Similarly we bought hats for everyone the following year in all different colour combinations.

The pyjamas were a great idea. My son loved the fact we all had the same and I know lots of people bought them as matching Christmas pyjamas.

I hope Matalan continues to support alder hey in this way. We've had the most fun searching for the right letters when buying scarves for family members.

Ideas for future campaigns could be:
socks and slippers;
aprons with different family names on (e.g. Mum, dad, big brother, daughter, grandma...);
Pillow cases - maybe featuring designs created by patients at Alder Hey;
Towels - initialled so that each member of the family can have their own

Keep up the good work and thanks!

I actually hadn't heard of this campaign before now but think it's fantastic and it has definitely improved my opinion of Matalan as a whole and I will certainly look out for the campaign in future. Get your Stripes PJs in 2016 is my favourite of he concepts listed as I like the fun friends and family of all ages inclusiveness of it.

Happy to support Alder Hey, great initiative.
I managed to get the PJs last Xmas for my whole family. Well, kind of - sizing was quite out for my toddler and by the time I went to try and swop, you were all sold out. So, ideally stock more! At least we can all wear them again next Xmas! I also found the quality not great, and would have gladly paid more, as they did look so nice. In general, I find Matalan quality pretty good, so this was a shame.