The footballer joins the likes of Freddie Flintoff and Jennie McAlpine in supporting the campaign
Visualisation of proposed MediCinema design, Manchester Royal Infirmary
The appeal has so far raised £250,000 - almost a quarter of its total target(Image: Manchester Foundation Trust Charity)
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A charity appeal backed by Manchester United star Mason Mount has moved closer to its target of opening the city's first-ever in-hospital cinema.
The appeal to raise £1.1m to build a new MediCinema in Manchester was launched earlier this month by Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, which raises funds for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s family of ten hospitals.
The objective is to raise enough money to bring big-screen magic to thousands of patients at the Trust’s Oxford Road Campus, including Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Delivered in partnership with charity MediCinema, the project will create a fully accessible 50-seat cinema at no cost to the NHS. 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.
MediCinema opened a facility at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool in November of last year. The opening was marked by an exclusive early screening of the film Moana 2, which put smiles on the faces of dozens of sick kids.
The appeal comes after the launch of the MediCinema at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool
The appeal comes after the launch of the MediCinema at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool
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This campaign has been fronted by Freddie Flintoff and backed by the likes of Coleen and Wayne Rooney, actress Jennie McAlpine and cricketer Jimmy Anderson.
The appeal has now reached an incredible £250,000, thanks to the generosity of hundreds of supporters.
Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount is another big name who has joined the campaign, telling the MEN: "I’m really proud to support Manchester Foundation Trust Charity as they work together with MediCinema to raise the funds needed for this incredible cinema project.
"For children in hospital, the chance to experience a film will hopefully make them smile, it can bring hope and a sense of normality at a time they need it most."
Mason added: "Manchester has always been a community that rallies together in times of need, and this initiative shows that spirit at its very best."
Mason Mount of Manchester United
Mason Mount of Manchester United(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Speaking about the the quarter of a million pound landmark, 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."
She added: "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."