Multi-million-pound refurb for Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey
83 bedroom house in Alder Hey is set for major improvement
Ronald McDonald House Charities UK has announced a multi-million-pound refurbishment of its 83-bedroom House in Liverpool.
One of the largest and busiest children's hospitals in Europe, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, offers free lodging to families of children receiving care there.
Families residing in the house typically reside 54 miles away; the accommodation lets them preserve some semblance of normal family life while keeping the family unit together and near to their hospitalised child.
Families, employees, and devoted charity supporters attended a private ceremony at the charity's house on Thursday, September 14, where the announcement was made.
In order to support a £1.5 million extension project at Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey, actor Ricky Tomlinson gave the organisation a £1 million donation in 2010.
The House will invest more than £11 million in its upcoming significant repair project to ensure the 30-year-old building, which requires the requirements of families and Alder Hey Children's Hospital may be met for many years to come with considerable modernisation.
The refurbishment will include:
· A complete refit of all bedrooms and ensuite bathroom replacements
· Adding family kitchens to each floor
· The creation of interconnecting rooms for larger / blended families
· Improving the dayroom facilities to allow for more families to make use of the house and offer complementary services such as hairdressing, yoga and family support
· A re-landscaped garden with new, dedicated space for families to relax and children to play
The two phases of the project, which will start early in the next year, will allow the house to continue operating in part.
It is scheduled to be finished in late 2025 and will bring the facility up to the high standards of Ronald McDonald House Charities UK's worldwide "home away from home" accommodations.
Richard Farish, Director of UK Estates and Facilities for Ronald McDonald House Charities UK said:
“We’re really excited about this project, which will see a full refurbishment of the existing House, including the exterior facade, interior redesign, and new building services.
"It includes environmentally sustainable solutions for energy and water use and will add attributes that synergise with the Alder Hey’s healthcare ambitions of whole-family wellbeing, healthy lifestyle, and day patient support."
More than 900 families stay at Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey annually, including Claire Sharples, a 38-year-old retail manager from Atherton in Greater Manchester.
When their new-born boy needed heart surgery at just 10 days old in 2018, Claire and her husband Mike, a 41-year-old scoring and information manager, stayed at the House.
Claire said: “Discovering our first-born child Theodore had a serious heart condition just one day after he was born was such a huge shock, especially as it hadn’t been picked up during my pregnancy scans.
"He had to be rushed from Royal Bolton Hospital to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in an ambulance; it was so dramatic and scary.
“Thankfully, we were given a bedroom at the Ronald McDonald House, just a stone’s throw away from Theodore’s ward.
"While I stayed with him in hospital for most of our three-week stay, Mike slept at the House, which saved us from having to pay for a hotel and meant we could be together as family.”
Theodore is now a happy and healthy five-year-old, who enjoys school, sport, reading, and being a big brother to two-year-old Penelope.
But Claire and Mike have never forgotten the support they had from Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey during Theodore’s challenging first few weeks of life.
Claire added: “The fact we didn’t have to worry about where to stay was just amazing and gave us such peace of mind.
"Over the past few years, we’ve raised around £10k for the Charity, as we’ve always been keen to give something back.
"Although we cannot fault the staff and volunteers at the House, the building itself is clearly in need of modernisation, so it’s fantastic to hear about the refurbishment.
"I’d urge anyone who can to support the project, as you never know when you or your family might need this wonderful facility.”
The Charity has raised the majority (£9 million) of the funds needed for the project but is launching a £2 million public appeal, calling on the local community to raise the remaining funds required for the vital refurbishment.
To donate to the Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey refurb appeal, please visit: www.rmhc.org.uk/liverpool-appeal
{{news}}