ICKLE PICKLES CHILDREN'S CHARITY
Be a NeoHero this Superhero Day!
Children’s charity Ickle Pickles explains how you and your setting can get involved in this year’s National Superhero Day and raise money to help babies born sick or prematurely in the UK
Each year, more than 90,000 babies are born sick or prematurely in the UK. Ickle Pickles is the only national charity that helps hospitals raise money to buy essential neonatal equipment.
The Ickle Pickles Charity offers a unique opportunity to help vulnerable babies and their families at a crucial time in their lives. Ickle Pickles’ NeoHeroes provides peerto-peer support in addition to organising fundraising events and supporting relationships between the charity and neonatal units
If you have a favourite superhero or NHS worker as a role model, then get your early years setting involved in this year’s Superhero Day on Sunday 28 April! You could organise a dress-up event with superhero themed activities – story time, role play, themed learning tasks – to raise vital funds for your local neonatal unit. Or you could even set up your own themed coffee morning to give parents of neonatal babies some much-needed community support and a safe space to share!
NeoHero Eve has been volunteering at Ickle Pickles’ coffee mornings for several years, saying: “When a baby is in neonatal care, families face many challenges. Ickle Pickles’ coffee mornings are a safe space to help parents of sick and premature babies. Together, we reduce barriers to support and share our experiences. Our coffee mornings are free to attend and are invaluable to the families.”
Passionate to give every newborn a chance
Each and every one of Ickle Pickles’ NeoHeroes is passionate about improving neonatal care, having themselves been on the neonatal journey.
NeoHero Ellis started volunteering with Ickle Pickles in 2023 after her son, Arlo, was born prematurely on 24 August 2022. With Ellis’ contractions starting at 25 weeks, doctors had attempted to stall her labour using drugs. But, after five days, her waters broke and just 40 minutes later, Arlo was born and whisked off to neonatal intensive care.
Ellis lost two-and-a-half litres of blood, and Arlo was diagnosed with meningitis and sepsis. Miraculously, though, they both survived! Arlo went on to have surgery and was then transported between different neonatal units. In November 2022, after 14 weeks, Arlo was discharged – two days before his due date.
Now 18 months old, Arlo has since been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He continues to make progress, with his feeding tube having now been removed, and he only needs oxygen at night. Meanwhile, Arlo enjoys bopping along to nursery rhymes, gripping his toys and exploring new foods. Whatever life brings, Arlo and his family will keep fighting!
Ellis knows that any family requiring neonatal support will be going through one of the most difficult times in their lives, saying: “Being a NeoHero allows me to give back and support my neonatal unit, as well as the staff that provided incredible levels of care to our son, Arlo. It’s essential for both babies and their families that this can continue.”
Who doesn’t want to be a hero?
Join us in making a real difference whilst having fun and raising funds on National Superhero Day for Ickle Pickles. After all, who doesn’t want to be a hero, even if it is just for one day?
Let’s make this day a heroic success, dress up as your biggest heroes and explore Ickle Pickles bit.ly/IP-fundraising-ideas for your Superhero Day at www.icklepickles.org.
You also can help parents with a newborn or baby in neonatal intensive care at one of Ickle Pickles’ coffee mornings, get involved with fundraising events or raise awareness of prematurity. Get in touch at info@icklepickles.org if you want to be a NeoHero!