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Flintoffs back bringing 'magic' of cinema inside hospital

Angela FergusonNorth West
News imageGetty Images Freddie Flintoff, who has short light brown hair swept back and a light beard, is standing next to his wife Rachael. He is wearing a black tuxedo with a white shirt while she is wearing a dark dress. Rachael has light blonde hair and is smiling. Getty Images
Rachael Flintoff said the response to their campaign had been 'incredible'

A proposed in-hospital cinema in Manchester would bring a touch of "magic" to the lives of patients and their families, Rachael and Freddie Flintoff have said.

The couple are leading a £1.1m fundraising campaign to bring a 50-seat theatre built by charity MediCinema to Manchester Royal Infirmary, which would be used by patients of all ages in a first for the city.

Rachael Flintoff said the cinema would bring so much more than film screenings, with the opportunity for previews of Disney films, and a chance for young patients to meet performers dressed as Disney characters.

She said the "magic of film" would help those "going through some extremely tough times".

News imagePA Media / Mike Egerton A man with short light brown hair and a beard is wearing a white baseball cap backwards and a dark blue jacket with 'Northern Super Chargers' written on it.PA Media / Mike Egerton
Freddie Flintoff and his wife Rachael are spearheading the MediCinema appeal

Their fundraising appeal was launched in December, with more than £300k raised to date.

Rachael Flintoff said the community response has been "incredible".

She said: "It is fantastic to see Manchester come together to support such a special cause.

"Every single donation, no matter how small, brings us closer to making this dream a reality for patients at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary."

MediCinema, a charity based in London, has built bespoke cinemas at NHS hospitals including Alder Hey.

Under the plans, the venue, which would be built in a former lecture theatre at Manchester Royal Infirmary, would be open to all of the trust's sites on its Oxford Road campus.

It would include cinema-style seating, with room for wheelchairs, hospital beds and medical equipment, and inclusive features such as subtitles, audio descriptions and sensory-friendly screenings.

Up to 260 films a year would be shown, supported by trained volunteers, with capacity for personalised screenings for patients in particularly sensitive circumstances, a trust spokesperson said.

News imageManchester Foundation Trust Charity A CGI image shows five rows of colourful cinema seats with space at the front for wheelchairs or hospital beds. A woman and child are looking at the cinema while a man and child are standing near the top of a stairway at one side of the row of seats. A sign at the back says 'MediCinema Feel better with film'.Manchester Foundation Trust Charity
A computer-generated image shows what Manchester's first in-hospital cinema would look like

The MediCinema at Alder Hey Children's Hospital has hosted screenings including previews of Disney films, with young patients getting a chance to meet characters from the films including Moana.

Chief nursing officer Nathan Askew said the MediCinema was "amazing" and brought joy "through the power of the movies to our children, young people and their families, some of whom can be at Alder Hey for long periods".

He said being able to "escape their room and have a day out to the cinema with friends and family, whilst still receiving vital clinical care" meant so much to their children and young people.

The hospital charity's chief executive officer Fiona Ashcroft said the cinema offered "a sanctuary of joy and a much-needed escape for our children, young people, and their families during challenging times".

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