Manchester MediCinema appeal is aiming to raise £1.1m to build a cinema for hospitals across Manchester
The appeal has so far raised £250,000 – almost a quarter of its total target(Image: Manchester Foundation Trust Charity)
The appeal to raise £1.1m to build a new MediCinema in Manchester has reached a major milestone after being supported by individuals and communities across Greater Manchester and the north west.
Manchester MediCinema appeal, fronted by former cricketer Freddie Flintoff and backed by the likes of Coleen and Wayne Rooney, Jennie McAlpine and Jimmy Anderson, has now reached an incredible £250,000, thanks to the generosity of hundreds of supporters.
Led by Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, which raises funds for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s family of ten hospitals, the appeal is raising money in a bid to build Manchester’s first-ever in-hospital cinema. Delivered in partnership with charity MediCinema, the project will create a fully accessible 50-seat cinema at no cost to the NHS, bringing big-screen magic to thousands of patients at the Trust’s Oxford Road Campus, including Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary.
The appeal comes after the launch of the MediCinema at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool(Image: Getty Images for Disney UK)
The £1.1m appeal will fund the build and initial running costs, providing patients with a vital therapeutic escape during long or frequent hospital stays. The MediCinema plans to transform an unused lecture theatre into a purpose-built space featuring: cinema-style seating room for wheelchairs, hospital beds, and medical equipment subtitles, audio description and sensory-friendly screenings
Up to 260 films a year will be shown, supported by MediCinema nurses and trained volunteers, with capacity for personalised screenings for patients in particularly sensitive circumstances.
“It’s fantastic to see the appeal reach £250,000,” says Freddie Flintoff. “It’s a brilliant achievement made possible by hundreds of generous supporters from right across Manchester. I’m so grateful to everyone who has already donated. But there’s still more to do, and this MediCinema will mean the world to thousands of children and adults in hospital. Every pound helps bring this amazing project to life.”
He added: “If everyone gave just £2, we could hit the target so much faster. Please text CINEMA2 to 70580, or donate any amount at the Manchester Foundation Trust Charity website – your support genuinely makes a difference.”
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Kathy Cowell OBE DL, Chair of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Reaching £250,000 is a remarkable milestone, and we’re incredibly grateful to the hundreds of individuals, groups and businesses who have helped us get here. The MediCinema will offer our patients precious moments of normality at times when they need them most. Every single donation – no matter how small – brings us closer to making this wonderful facility a reality.
“We’ve seen an amazing response so far, but we still need the public’s help to make this dream a reality. I would encourage everyone, if they can, to support the appeal – your generosity will make a lasting difference to patients of all ages, and their families, across our hospitals.”
How to Donate
Text CINEMA and your chosen amount (up to £20) to 70580 or visit Manchester Foundation Trust Charity’s website to donate any amount.