Sheffield Children’s celebrates 148th birthday with opening of new helipad

This week, as Sheffield Children’s celebrates its 148^th birthday, the hospital is opening its brand new helipad to receive children in need of urgent care, following a £6 million fundraising campaign.

Thanks to the generosity of the public, charities and local businesses supporting The Children’s Hospital Charity and Sheffield Children’s, the 18 month build has been completed and the helipad is ready to provide children and young people with a direct route to our Emergency Department, where they can receive the care they need.

Ruth Brown, Chief Executive of Sheffield Children’s, said: “In the week that Sheffield Children’s celebrates its 148^th birthday, we are delighted to share that we have lift off! We have been providing care for children and young people for 148 years and what remains constant is that we’re always looking for ways to innovate and improve the way we care for children.”

Sheffield Children’s is the only Major Trauma Centre and specialist paediatric hospital covering South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw, North Derbyshire and North Lincolnshire that receives children under 16 years of age, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The addition of the new helipad will give patients privacy and dignity as they arrive at Sheffield Children’s to receive vital and urgent care.

Ruth Brown said: “By building this helipad, we are making it easier for helicopters to land at Sheffield Children’s and we’re enhancing the quality of care that children receive when they suffer a major trauma. We are also future proofing our emergency services and making sure that Sheffield Children’s can continue to be recognised as a Major Trauma Centre, caring for children from across the region.

“I want to say thank you to everyone who has worked tirelessly to create the helipad, a vital asset to children’s healthcare in the region which will provide a safe place to land for any child that needs it.”

Sheffield Children’s Hospital needed a specialist helipad to make sure children and young people experienced the best possible landing if they arrived by helicopter, in need of urgent care. Previously helicopters landed in Weston Park opposite the hospital, with medical crews having to transfer patients across the busy A57 to access the Sheffield Children’s Emergency Department.

John Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer of The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We couldn’t be happier to have funded the helipad and we would like to thank everyone involved, from our young Helipad Heroes who raised money through bake sales, to our corporate partners, grant-making bodies and charities that have worked incredibly hard to raise vital money.

“The Children’s Hospital Charity reached the £6 million target in March of 2023, and we are in awe of the work that was put into the build of the helipad. It’s truly been an honour to watch our helipad become a reality before our eyes.

“The Children’s Hospital Charity funds projects big and small to help Sheffield Children’s go above and beyond the NHS provision, and the helipad is one of the largest projects the Charity has ever achieved. We are so grateful for each and every one of our supporters.”

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, said: “Ten years ago, we began discussions with Sheffield Children’s, and thanks to the incredible support of our donors, we are proud to have contributed over £2.8 million to the Sheffield Children’s helipad. Our donation has helped make the construction of this state-of-the-art helipad a reality at one of only five specialist children’s Major Trauma Centres in the country, ensuring children and young people will receive the urgent care they need as quickly as possible.”

The new helipad is a welcome addition to Sheffield Children’s, and you can watch the almost true story of how it was created in our helipad film: Landing a big idea – the (almost) true story of Sheffield Children’s helipad.