This weekend, The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre and Forces Cinemas joined forces to host the first ever on-release blockbuster movie screening at Stanford Hall for patients and their children…
As part of their rehabilitation programme, patients at the Centre were given the exclusive opportunity to enjoy a blockbuster movie with their families in their own private surroundings at the same time as it goes on release in cinemas across the rest of the country. For some this was their first social outing since injury.
Jennifer Holdford, Forces Cinemas Operations Manager, said: “Forces Cinemas provides on-release movies for the forces community to a number of cinemas around the world, as well as offering its Cinelink service which gives those serving their country in remote locations a ‘cinema experience’ with a new film every week, six weeks after cinema release.
“We’re delighted that we are able to offer both these services to The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre and can kick off this partnership with this year’s biggest family film on the weekend of its release.”
As well as providing the patients and their families with entertainment, this experience also facilitates the welfare needs of the injured military personnel and plays an important role in their rehabilitation.
Nicola Norville, DMRC Speech & Language Therapist and DMRC Benevolent Fund Fundraising Manager, said: “The theatre and cinema has fast become a focal point for the DMRC community. The cinema provides everyone the chance to relax and socialise together in a safe environment following an arduous day in rehabilitation.
“Opportunities such as this, beautifully support many of the rehab goals set for patients. The DMRC Benevolent Fund is proud to fund this facility. It is one of the ways in which we maximise the rehab outcomes of those in our care. However, without the support of Forces Cinemas, Disney and our team of volunteers, we would not be able to operate this unique rehab tool.”
The screening was hosted in the DMRC Stanford Hall theatre which was built in 1938, utilises the latest cinema projection technology and seats 250.
DMRC Stanford Hall Patient Maj Caroline Way said: “Thank you to the DMRC Benevolent Fund, DMRC Stanford Hall and Forces Cinemas for an incredible opportunity to give my family a magical experience in my medical setting, which has always been a challenging environment for my three year old daughter.
“Now she has exciting memories of Mummy to balance out the more worrying moments of visiting me. My little girl was excited to have mummy dressed up with her as Elsa to watch the movie. Giving my daughter positive memories of her visit to watch the movie means the world to me.
Following the success of this event, Forces Cinemas will also be hosting a free screening of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in its movie machine at Broom Farm Estate, Combermere Barracks, Windsor on the day of its release for those serving in the armed forces and their families.
