Alder Hey have announced a new partnership with the charity MediCinema and their own Alder Hey Children’s Charity to build a state-of-the-art cinema inside the children’s hospital.
The specially designed in-hospital cinema, set to open in 2024, will be funded entirely by Alder Hey Children’s Charity and MediCinema, and will be the first in the North West and the only one in a solely paediatric hospital in the UK. The vibrant cinema will house beds, wheelchairs and medical equipment while showing the latest films for free, transforming the hospital experience for Alder Hey’s children and young people.
Alder Hey Nurses will be able to work for the MediCinema outside of their regular rota, joining specialist-trained volunteers. These teams will accompany patients and families to screenings, allowing them to enjoy the latest films alongside other moviegoers while still receiving any necessary care. When it opens in 2024 and can accommodate thousands of visitors per year, this connection to the outside world will be a ray of light in the lives of those who need it the most.
MediCinema is already successfully operating in five major NHS Trusts and Health Boards across the UK, enhancing patient and family wellbeing during hospital stays through the magic of film. Their cinema-based programmes have an impressive 24-year track record of improving patients’ emotional, psychological, and physical health. This includes reducing feelings of isolation, stress, and anxiety, as well as improving patient resilience and promoting recovery.
According to ongoing MediCinema research, 86% of MediCinema attendees believe the experience benefits their mental health and helps them cope. An impressive 94% say it helps them feel less isolated in the hospital, and 93% say it helps them feel less stressed and anxious. Furthermore, 56% of patients surveyed said that their MediCinema experience helps them cope with pain.
Grants and donations will be used to fund the construction. Once open, Alder Hey patients and families will be able to attend free film screenings. We are launching an appeal this month asking people to donate the equivalent of a movie ticket to their Children’s Charity to help cover the first year’s operating costs.
The Alder Hey Children’s Hospital MediCinema journey promises to be a heartwarming tale of healing, hope, and movie magic, with young patients and their families as the stars of the show.
Fiona Ashcroft, Chief Executive at Alder Hey Children’s Charity said:
“This project is so exciting – the charity already funds so much at Alder Hey that helps to make a hospital stay the best it can be for our children and this new MediCinema will ensure the hospital has that something extra for them too, adding a sprinkle of movie magic to a child’s journey!”
Colin Lawrence, CEO of MediCinema said:
“We are so proud to be building our next MediCinema inside Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. We’ve been bringing the benefits of the big screen to patients in NHS hospitals for more than 20 years, and over that time seen the extraordinary range of impact and benefit it can have. We want to bring that positive impact to more NHS patients across the UK, and are delighted for the opportunity to do just that for close to 5000 children and their families every year at this prestigious hospital.”
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