The ‘state-of-the-art’ cinema will ‘bring the magic of movies’ to thousands of children and adult patients at the city’s hospitals
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has backed the appeal(Image: PA)
Freddie Flintoff has launched a £1.1m Christmas campaign to build a new cinema for hospitals in Manchester. The former cricketer and Top Gear presenter is calling on everyone across Greater Manchester and beyond to donate £2 to make the MediCinema a reality.
The plan promises to bring the magic of the movies to ‘thousands’ of patients across the city – including kids at the Royal Manchester Children’s hospital. In a video message launching the appeal, Mr Flintoff said it will be ‘almost like a Christmas present for Manchester’.
The campaign, led by the Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, aims to build a fully accessible 50-seat cinema for patients at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary among others. The charity, which supports Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s family of 10 hospitals, says the £1.1m will fund the build and initial running of the cinema at no extra cost to the NHS.
Launching the campaign on Monday (December 1), which aims to raise £1.1m by Christmas, Mr Flintoff said: “I’m delighted to support the Manchester MediCinema Appeal, which will bring the magic of movies to children and adults in hospital right here in the city.
“Some patients are in hospital for months, even years, which makes a simple trip to the cinema impossible. This MediCinema will change that for thousands of patients every single year – being able to enjoy a film with their family really will mean the world.
“If everyone across Manchester donated just £2 this Christmas – less than a cup of coffee – we could hit the £1.1m target to bring this amazing cinema to life and make this the best Christmas gift our city could give.”
The ‘state-of-the-art’ cinema will be housed in an old, non-clinical lecture theatre in Manchester Royal Infirmary. It will feature cinema-style seating, space for wheelchairs, hospital beds and medical equipment, as well as accessibility features, including subtitles, audio description, and sensory-friendly screenings.
A visualisation of the proposed MediCinema design(Image: Manchester Foundation Trust Charity)
Around 260 films a year will be shown, the charity says, with dedicated MediCinema nurses and trained volunteers supporting every screening. The space will also be able to host personal screenings for patients in exceptionally sensitive circumstances.
The campaign comes one year after Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool officially opened the doors to its own MediCinema.
In a video promoting the campaign, Mr Flintoff said: “The hospital’s been so important to my family over the years. Three of our kids have been born there and it’s a place we go when we need help the most.
“And I know how important it must be to you too. Not just in the city, but also further afield.
“The cinema will make such a difference to thousands of patients each year. Especially those who are in for a long stay, the ones who can’t go home, unfortunately, to visit family and friends.”
Kathy Cowell OBE DL, Chair of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said: “We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who is supporting this Appeal. The MediCinema will have a lasting positive impact on thousands of patients across our hospitals – providing moments of normality during challenging hospital stays.
Every single donation helps, and just £2 from each person across Manchester would make this project a reality for our patients.”
To donate, text CINEMA and your chosen amount (up to £20) to 70580 or visit Manchester Foundation Trust Charity’s website to give any amount.