About the Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity

Ickle Pickles are the smallest and sickest babies who need intensive care in neonatal units.

There are over 90,000 babies born sick or prematurely in the UK every year.

One in thirteen babies are born prematurely.

Ickle Pickles can be a full term babies (40 weeks) requiring treatment or surgery or more likely babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks). Babies born before 27 weeks are classed as extremely premature and it is often these tiniest babies who need the most help.

Since 2009, the Ickle Pickles children’s charity has been raising money for the intensive care equipment that treats these babies and helps to keep them alive.

Donate to the Ickle Pickles

Our work

The Ickle Pickles offers a unique opportunity to help vulnerable babies at a critical time in their lives.

Our long-term plan is to become the charity partner for 150 neonatal units and to donate vital equipment to every neonatal unit in England & Wales.

We strive to give every newborn a chance by working and campaigning nationally whilst delivering tangible benefit for local parents, neonatal units and communities.

Hospitals we work with

Equipment we fund

We have funded equipment both small and large, from incubators and ventilators through to
breast pumps, feeding chairs and tiny baby nests to help the smallest babies.

Below is a selection of the equipment that forms an intensive care station in a neonatal unit.

Incubator

Incubator

Typical cost: £27,000

Function: To isolate the baby and control the temperature and environment

Typical lifespan: 7 years

Ventilator

Ventilator

Typical cost: £25,000

Function: Provides oxygen and support whilst the lungs grow and mature

Typical lifespan: 5 years

Cerebral function monitor

Brain monitor

Typical cost: £22,000

Function: Monitors vital brain activity – helps assess brain injuries & monitor seizures

Typical lifespan: 5 years

Vital stats monitor

Vital stats monitor

Typical cost: £10,000

Function: Monitors the babies physiological functions, alerting the nurses to problems

Typical lifespan: 10 years

Vapotherm

Vapotherm:

Typical cost: £4,550

Function: Increases airway pressure to help make breathing easier for the baby

Typical lifespan: 7 years

Phototherapy lights

Phototherapy lights

Typical cost: £3,000

Function: Treats jaundice in newborns by breaking down billirubin in the bloodstream.

Typical lifespan: 10 years

Incubator

Typical cost: £27,000

Function: To isolate the baby and control the temperature and environment

Typical lifespan: 7 years

Ventilator

Typical cost: £25,000

Function: Provides oxygen and support whilst the lungs grow and mature

Typical lifespan: 5 years

Brain monitor

Typical cost: £22,000

Function: Monitors vital brain activity – helps assess brain injuries & monitor seizures

Typical lifespan: 5 years

Vital stats monitor

Typical cost: £10,000

Function: Monitors the babies physiological functions, alerting the nurses to problems

Typical lifespan: 10 years

Vapotherm:

Typical cost: £4,550

Function: Increases airway pressure to help make breathing easier for the baby

Typical lifespan: 7 years

Phototherapy lights

Typical cost: £3,000

Function: Treats jaundice in newborns by breaking down billirubin in the bloodstream.

Typical lifespan: 10 years

CURRENT APPEALS FOR HOSPITALS

Neonatal units we support

We’ve bought equipment for over 50 neonatal units around the UK and this number grows every year.

Some of the hospitals and transport services are shown below. You can work with us to fundraise or donate monies to any neonatal unit in England and Wales via the Ickle Pickles.

Explore the full range of appeals we currently have running or get in touch today if you want to discuss working jointly on an appeal for the unit that treated your ickle pickle.

Our fundraising policy can be found here.

Get in touch today

How we build fundraising partnerships

NeoHeroes

We are fortunate to have many wonderful volunteers who work to build relationships with clinical and nursing staff at the neonatal units we work with.

These neoHeroes will typically be parents, guardians or grandparents to a child who has been treated on a neonatal ward.

We ask them to raise awareness about the charity and engage with clinical & nursing teams to determine what equipment their neonatal unit most urgently needs.

Ickle Pickles Pledge

Our commitment to Neonatal Units

As a national charity with a local focus, we raise funds for the equipment that individual neonatal units most urgently need. A joint fundraising commitment, the Ickle Pickles Pledge powers our fundraising efforts.

For parents and staff who want to get more involved, we provide support including fundraising advice and event management expertise.

You can find details of how we work with neonatal units here.

Raising awareness

We request a noticeboard in the neonatal unit or parent rooms to help promote our work & encourage fundraising.

Fundraisers are able to donate to the unit where their child was treated. We work with each neonatal unit to formulate wish lists, provide transparency for funds raised and endeavour to ensure that all funds raised for a specific neonatal unit are used to support that unit.

You can find details of how we work with neonatal units and our fundraising policy here

NeoHeroes

We are fortunate to have many wonderful volunteers who work to build relationships with clinical and nursing staff at the neonatal units we work with.

These neoHeroes will typically be parents, guardians or grandparents to a child who has been treated on a neonatal ward.

We ask them to raise awareness about the charity and engage with clinical & nursing teams to determine what equipment their neonatal unit most urgently needs.

Our commitment to Neonatal Units

For parents and staff who want to get more involved, we provide support including fundraising advice and event management expertise.

You can find details of how we work with neonatal units here.

Raising awareness

You can find details of how we work with neonatal units and our fundraising policy here

Corporate sponsors & supporters

We are fortunate enough to be supported by some very generous
corporate partners and supporters.

Through a partnership with Ickle Pickles, you can add new dimensions to your brand image, become recognised for your ESG work and engage your staff with a range of events and opportunities to work together for a great cause. Have a look at our Corporate Fundraising Pack.