About Us
Ronald McDonald House Liverpool, a totally independent charity raising all its own funds, is located in the grounds of the world famous Alder Hey childrens’ hospital. We really are a home away from home, where families of seriously ill children receiving care and treatment at the hospital can stay close by, just minutes away from their childs bedside, in accommodation provided free of charge.
Mac House, as it is affectionately known by the thousands of families who have stayed with us, is there for families at some of the toughest times of their lives. When you are the parent of a child with a serious illness, possibly life threatening, you will go to the place that offers the best possible treatment for your child, however far away. You would want to be with them, but would also need a safe and comfortable place to sleep, to cook and do the laundry and most of all, a place where your bedroom is connected by phone to the very Ward your child is in…..
Mac House is that home away from home. The House that Love Built. You feel it all around you whilst you are staying with us. From the staff who are there at the beginning to welcome you when all you can think about is being with your child, calmly explaining how it all works and getting you settled in quickly, without fuss. From other families staying in the House who you meet in the kitchen, the dining room, the quiet lounges, the siblings play areas, the garden……and from our unique resource, the families support worker who is there for you throughout your stay with us.
Research shows us that having the ability to stay close to your child whilst they are being treated in hospital hugely aids recovery, makes a massive difference to all the family including the brothers or sisters of the child being cared for, and helping families stay close by is what we do.
Mac House can provide all of this but it is an expensive resource. The House is a registered charity and is funded entirely by voluntary donations. It costs around £25 a day or £175 a week to accommodate a family and we have to raise over £650,000 a year to keep our doors open and having Mac House close by has helped 30,000 families since we opened in 1993.
We are the largest Ronald McDonald house in Europe, with 84 bedrooms, including 15 longer stay apartments, and can help over 2,000 families a year, many of whom come from as far afield as North Wales, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, the Isle of Man and of course all across Merseyside and the North West.
We provide our families with a warm and welcoming environment within which they can stay for as long as they need, be it a matter of days, weeks, months or in some cases, even years. Mac House is equipped with the facilities for family living, with bedrooms, spacious lounges, tv in your room and a separate tv lounge, wifi, galley kitchens, your own food storage lockers, playrooms, and a laundry. Families can cook, clean, rest, and be together, all the time knowing that they are just minutes away their child in hospital. The difference this can make is simply incredible.
On this About Us page you can find out more about our proud history and how we got here, see information about our much respected and hugely experienced Trustees who govern the charity and then say hello to our small but amazing team !!
Please read on throughout our superb new website donated by the incredibly skilled team at Cyberfrog Design Ltd, a leading light in the creative community that loves its base in Liverpool. Most of all, we need your help, because nothing about Mac House happens without our amazing supporters, individuals, corporate / business and volunteers making the day to day support for thousands of families a reality.