Families on Liverpool Women’s Neonatal Unit were surprised with a visit from Everton CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale and Director of Football Marcel Brands last week, after they paid a visit to visit the newly refurbished unit to find out more about the specialist care provided to 1000 babies each year.
The Everton duo were met on arrival by Kate Davis, Head of Fundraising at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and Andrew Loughney, Medical Director, and were given an overview on the hospital’s recent ‘Big Tiny Steps Appeal’ which has seen them fundraise for a variety of enhanced facilities on the new Neonatal Unit for newborns and their families which will provide them with not only world class clinical care but also holistic family care.
Blues CEO Barrett-Baxendale and the Club’s Director of Football Brands were then taken to the Neonatal Unit where they met several families who are currently accessing the specialist care at the hospital and spoke at length with them about the specialist treatment that their newborn is receiving.
Kate Davis, head of fundraising at Liverpool Women’s said:
“It was fantastic to receive a visit from Denise-Barrett-Baxendale and Marcel Brands to showcase our fantastic new facilities in our Neonatal Unit. We have recently refurbished the department after nearly £250,000 was raised through our Big Tiny Steps Appeal and the new unit provides more cot side space and reclining chairs for skin to skin contact, as well as an outdoor garden so families can escape the clinical intensity of the ward without being too far away. We are very grateful for the support from Everton; it was a wonderful boost to the families on the unit.”
The families were also presented with Everton gift bags including some essential items to kick start their Tiny Toffee journey as well as an invitation to lead the first team out as a junior mascot or Toffee Lady at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Reflecting on the visit, Everton CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale said: “Liverpool Women’s Hospital is an institution in our city – it is a name that people know they can trust and believe in and the work they do is so vitally important to the growth of our city.
“It was inspiring to visit the hospital with Marcel and see first-hand the incredible work that the Neonatal Unit staff do day in day in out to provide specialist care to the 1,000 babies who are born each year, either prematurely or with a medical condition that requires specialist equipment.”
Everton Football Club Director of Football Marcel Brands added: “Just like Everton in the Community, Liverpool Women’s Hospital has a huge impact on the city of Liverpool and provides excellent care for sick babies and their families. On behalf of Everton Football Club, we’d like to thank the wonderful staff here for their life-saving work.”
Denise Barrett-Baxendale and Marcel Brands were accompanied on their visit to Liverpool Women’s hospital by Everton in the Community’s ‘Knit and Knatter’ group who, since 2017, have been attending a weekly session at The People’s Hub where they come together to socialise and knit.
The last few months has seen the group create more than 100 blue and white knitted items which have been donated to the Little Woollens Shop at the hospital.
Andrew Loughney, Medical Director at Liverpool Women’s met the knitting group and said:
“It was great to see Denise and Marcel showing such a strong interest in the work we do at Liverpool Women's and chatting to some of the outstanding supporters in the Knit and Knatter group. A real connection was apparent and the visit was hugely appreciated.”