Dan Haliday

Fundraising Partnership Manager

“My job is to help our wonderful corporate supporters raise the vital money that keeps the hospice doors open.”

Dan has been with Claire House since 2014, starting as a community fundraiser before joining the corporate team.  

He says: “What I love most about working for Claire House is really knowing you are making a difference to people’s lives. My job here is to work closely with businesses by engaging with their staff and telling them about the incredible work Claire House does to support the children and families who need us most.

“We are really lucky here at Claire House that we are working with some great companies across the region, from huge organisations to small businesses who are willing to play their part in supporting their local children’s hospice. It’s so important that we share the importance of what we do to enable us to help more children.”

Matt McGeagh

Manager of the Heswall and Neston shops

“I like the idea of working somewhere you can make a real difference.”

I started at Claire House in 2019 as an Assistant Manager. I have worked in our Great Homer Street, Neston and Heswall stores and in 2024, I started as the dual store manager for Heswall and Neston.

I’ve been working in Retail since I was 21. Before joining Claire House, I worked in various roles at the Primark in Liverpool.

I’ve known about Claire House since childhood, as I went to the same primary school as Claire, the little girl after whom the hospice is named.

I like the idea of working somewhere you can make a real difference. Every donation bag that comes in is like an adventure, and you never quite know what you’re going to find.

No day is ever the same, and you have to be able to think on your feet. I like the interactions I have with customers and volunteers on a daily basis. Most people are really pleasant, kind and supportive of the work you’re doing for the charity and the work of the charity itself. You also get to learn things you’ve never heard before.

Rachel Hogg

Counsellor

“I am incredibly proud to work for an organisation where together we make life’s hardest times a little easier for the families who come to Claire House. To offer empathy, laughter and hope, like a beacon of hope to Claire House families really is a huge privilege”

“My team can offer a safe place for people to come and talk about things.”

Rachael Hogg is a Counsellor who works as part of our Family Support team, alongside XXX other Counsellors.

“Counselling at Claire House means supporting children and families during difficult times. The team provide a safe, non-judgmental space for people to come and talk in a warm, relaxed environment.

The main part of my job is one to one counselling sessions, however within our team we also offer therapeutic groups for Mums, Dads and Grandparents as well as social events for siblings and families. One to one counselling offers people a safe space to come and be able to talk about things that they might not be able to say to other family members or friends.

The groups help parents, grandparents and siblings to realise that they are not alone. For them being in a room full of others who understand how difficult life is, is really important, it can help them to reconnect and feel less isolated explains Rachael.

I feel honoured to be a Claire House Counsellor. Being alongside our families feels a privilege and a special thing to be able to do.”

Sue Denton

Hospice Lead Nurse

“Wanting to work at Claire House was one of the main reasons I trained as a nurse.

I did a placement at the hospice at the end of my training and loved it, but I wanted clinical experience so I looked for a job at a hospital. I worked at Arrowe Park for 20 years on the paediatric ward, then one day a friend mentioned the role at Claire House and here I am.

As well as offering respite care, there are the planned care, end of life and rapid response teams.

Getting to know the lead nurse role, I've spent a lot of the time with the children, learning their routines and spending time with them. You learn about lots of conditions. We now take more clinically complex children than in the past, for example children who have a tracheostomy.

Here the focus is on the one child, and we look holistically at everything. You get to think, who could you involve: the play team, physiotherapy, or maybe just that they should have a bath. The parents have a big impact on how their child is looked after. We can do here what they do at home with their child and it gives them reassurance.

I've learnt a lot about end of life care and post bereavement. The families and child come first here. Nothing is too much trouble and all the teams that come together to provide support, before, during and after a child's death.

I love the job, I like the pace and mostly I like the difference we make to the children and their families.”