AHMM Architects designed the new Alder Centre building for child bereavement counselling in Liverpool.

The Alder Centre is a unique facility, that provides bereavement, counselling and support services for anyone affected by the death of a child. The Centre also runs a number of activities throughout the year, including art therapy classes, therapeutic breaks and bereavement care services. The national Freephone Child Death Helpline, which is staffed by bereaved parents is also based at the Alder Centre.

The new building, funded by charitable donations, will for the first time provide purpose designed dedicated internal and external spaces to meet the needs of this highly specialised and sensitive service and will be a key addition to the Alder Hey in the Park campus.

'The Alder Centre is unique within the NHS so our brief was appropriately ‘to create a place like no other’. We were delighted with the proposals that were put forward and are grateful to all the bidders for their enthusiasm and efforts they committed to this project. Following an in-depth decision process involving Alder Hey staff, our development team and service users, we felt that AHMM’s design perfectly matched our brief. They have designed a building in-keeping with the exceptional design of our new hospital buildings but one that remains discreet and sensitively designed for its users. We look forward to working with them to turn our vision into a reality’ .
David Powell, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

The Alder Centre won the RIBA North West Award 2024 and the RIBA North West Client of the Year 2024 for The Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust. In its modest way, it fulfils the most fundamental need – to acknowledge and share grief while finding ways to celebrate life. Read more about the finished project in RIBAJ.

Awards

RIBA North West Award 2024

RIBA North West Client of the Year Award 2024