Alder Hey is treating supporters to a Jolly Oli Christmas Concert to spread festive cheer

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital is holding a Jolly Oli Christmas Concert to raise money to make patients’ experiences even better – and take the chance to celebrate the festive season with all its supporters.

The concert will be held in St George’s Hall on Tuesday, December 12, when there’ll be music and song from local choirs, as well as fun activities, competitions, and raffles.

Community fundraiser Sarah Johnson says: “The concert will help to fund our brand-new state-of-the-art Medicinema, a specialist cinema in the heart of the hospital which allows all our patients to access the magic of the big screen.

“And, because we are dedicated to patient comfort and care, to the purchase of a Sensory Voyager, a machine which has calming lights, sounds and tactile elements which can be used to alleviate young patients’ stress and anxiety.”

And she adds: “It’s also just nice to have a lovely concert to get people feeling all Christmassy. It’s an event that will put a smile on people’s faces and give them a warm festive glow inside.”

Until the pandemic, Alder Hey had previously held an annual Christmas concert in Liverpool Cathedral.

“And so we thought we’d pick it up again and get everyone in the festive spirit,” smiles Sarah. “It’s now in the wonderful location of St George’s Hall which is currently surrounded by Liverpool Christmas Market so it’s perfect, if people want to visit the market and make a great day out of it, they can.”

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The Guide Liverpool’s Jay Hynd will be hosting the event at which six choirs will perform:

* Cutting Strings Stage School choir which recorded a single for Alder Hey Children’s Charity last year which raised an impressive £3,870 and whose aims are to allow children to enjoy life through song, dance, drama and play while building their confidence and self-esteem.

* Sing me Merseyside, a muti-award winning choir which gives more than 350 members the chance to socialise, learn and have fun, and improve their health and wellbeing.

* Malvern Primary School Choir from Huyton, which often performs in the hospital around Christmas.

* Winners Chapel Choir – the church-based choir regularly holds appeals for Alder Hey and last year collected toiletries and nappies to support the hospital families.

* Make Noise Choir made up of adults and children and which sang at Alder Hey’s NHS 75^th birthday celebrations, and

* The Retrotones: “This is an eight-strong group of singers which includes members of our own Alder Hey family, and so it links nicely back to the hospital,” says Sarah.

Doors open at 6pm for a 7pm start and guests will be greeted by the hospital’s resident musicians as they enter.

There will be food and snack stalls, and a range of fun activities, and ‘some surprises’ throughout the evening.

Competition and raffles will be held with the chance to win some amazing prizes, including stadium tour tickets for both Liverpool and Everton, a family pass for Knowsley Safari, a night’s stay for two with breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Liverpool, a night’s stay at Hotel Indigo, and more.

Tickets start from £7.50, with a family ticket for four costing £30.

Sarah says: “It’s a family-friendly Christmas carol concert that’s bringing together choirs from across the community to spread some festive cheer and raise money for Alder Hey.”