MediCinema
1030. Christine Hill
Christine Hill, from London, is the founder and Honorary President of the pioneering charity ‘MediCinema’ which she created in 1996 to bring the joy of cinema to hospitals across the UK.
‘MediCinema’ is a charity dedicated to improving the wellbeing of patients, their families and carers across the UK through the magic of the shared cinema experience. The charity builds and manages cinemas in hospitals that can accommodate wheelchairs and beds, allowing patients undergoing treatment for complex illnesses and injuries to escape the isolation of hospital wards. Since opening the first hospital cinema at St Thomas’s Hospital in London in 1999, from Christine’s idea the charity has grown to six MediCinemas and last year the charity delivered 27,300 cinema experiences to patients and their families. Christine has also led events and speeches promoting the charity’s work and inspired leading British actors Ewan McGregor and Dame Helen Mirren to be the charity’s patrons.
Christine’s award was presented by Minister for Sport and Civil Society, Tracey Crouch MP at a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport event celebrating volunteering (pictured above).
In a personal letter to Christine, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“By founding ‘MediCinema’ you have created a successful and innovative model that is having a truly transformational effect on the wellbeing of hospital patients across the country. It is testament to your remarkable dedication that you have inspired hundreds of volunteers to run free screenings in state-of-the-art cinema facilities, providing much-needed joy and escapism for patients and their families.”
Christine said:
“I am very honoured to receive the Points of Light Award on behalf of all the volunteers at ‘MediCinema’. Volunteering for ‘MediCinema’ is especially exciting and rewarding because you can see the difference you make.
“From fundraising marathons to jumble sales, to wheeling patients in their beds into the Cinema to join their families and then, after seeing the latest film release, returning them to their wards, hearing them say “I forgot my pain, I even forgot I was in hospital” – that is what ‘MediCinema’ is all about.
“Thank you for “Pointing a Light” on the charity.”
Pictured below: Christine meeting patients with charity patron Ewan McGregor, and patients enjoying a screening at one of the specially designed cinemas
