LOCATION AND INTRODUCTION:
Cherry Trees is a charity providing exceptional home-from-home, specialist short-break respite visits for children and young adults aged 0-19 with a range of complex disabilities including learning, physical and sensory impairments.
Founded in 1980 by a group of parents and doctors, Cherry Trees is a lifeline for the families of more than 100 children and young people who are regularly cared for here, whether it be after school for a few hours, a weekend or a longer stay.
Cherry Trees is a unique place, providing professional care in a safe, stimulating and fun environment, where every child is valued for who they are. It is a community that is dedicated to children and young people, enabling them to spend time with friends and enjoy new experiences and opportunities, while their families have a much needed break from care themselves.
Cherry Trees is the key charitable supplier of short-break respite care in Surrey offering 24 hour support 7 days a week for 48 weeks of the year to children from Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex and West London.
www.cherrytrees.org.uk
HOW INITIAL CONTACT WAS MADE:
With Cherry Trees being a local charity to me I have been aware for many years of the great work they do in our community. However, it wasn’t until July 2022 that I finally contacted them and we had our first meeting on site in September 2022.
The catalyst for this contact was the MD of a local bathroom company who was quoting for some work at my parent’s house. We got chatting and he mentioned to me that Cherry Trees did great work and always needed help. Next thing I knew we had committed to help. 8 months on and we have completed their new cinema room!
The pint I’d like to stress here is that we need venues to come to us, we need to be made aware of the venues that we could help. With one full time member of staff Together For Cinema needs eyes and ears around the country to make us aware of these opportunities to make a difference. DO you know if anywhere? Please let me know…
HOW THE INSTALLER / PROJECT MANAGER WAS FOUND:
Having committed to help at Cherry Trees, I desperately needed an installer to help. I knew I had a bank of companies offering their time and installation skills, but nevertheless I needed to secure the right installer and one that was in the local area.
James Applin from Nethaus had already been I contact with me offering his services and it was about 30 seconds into our conversation that he said, ‘Yes, I’m in’! Installer secured!
With James on board we set a site meeting up for Monday 26th September.
INITIAL MEETING AND SPECIFICATION:
With Cherry Trees being only a few miles away from me it was an easy venue for me to get to. For James Applin, it was not so easy, but after an hour’s drive up from Andover we finally met on site at 10.30am on Monday September 26th.
As with all site visits I enter thinking that it would be nice to help out, and I come out thinking okay, we’re in, and what else can we do to help!
We met various members of staff at Cherry Trees, including the CEO, Clare Colborne-Baber, and members from the management and the care team. After a brief meeting James and I were shown around the facility and ended up in the room that was earmarked for the cinema room - not ideal, but workable. As with many other installations of this type, the room needed to remain multi-functional, and there were several limitations and challenges that we were going to face.
Challenges are of course there to be overcome and James had solutions for them all. Mainly it meant working around the challenge but they were solutions nevertheless. The most important thing being that he had a vision and between us, we had a way to get there.
With an ambitious kit list being drawn up, and some funding available from Silicon Laboratories UK, were able to specify an ambitious installation that made use of a large wall at the end of the room where we would fit a fix frame screen. This would have huge impact as one entered the room from the other end and also enabled the room to remain multifunctional with the cinema focus at one end. We had a cunning plan that would work for years to come…
SOURCING OF PRODUCTS:
With a $5,000 donation from Silicon Laboratories UK we were able to purchase certain items that were challenging to secure otherwise. This made the process a little easier and meant that James and I could focus on the products required that might need a little more ‘attention’.
As with all the Together For Cinema installations we were asking for a lot of product from our partners and yet again they all came good and donated all the items that we were looking for. Special mention on this installation to Epson, Monitor Audio, QMotion and Snap One who were all hugely generous in agreeing essential items to the installation. I shouldn’t really single companies out as all who’ve helped make this happen deserve a special mention!
It never ceases to amaze me how far we’ve come with Together For Cinema and the ‘ease’ at which we, as an industry working together can gather the equipment to create these amazing rooms. It goes without saying that we are hugely grateful to all those that helped make this happen. Thank you…
KIT LIST THAT WAS DONATED:
Before listing the kit list that was donated it’s important to again thank Silicon Laboratories UK for securing a $5,000 cash donation to help with the installation. The balance of which was donated to Cherry Trees and is being used for new skylight blinds for the 13 ceiling glass panels.
INSTALL STARTED:
Tuesday 9th May, 2023.
INSTALL COMPLETED AND FINAL SIGN OFF:
Friday 12th May, 2023.
OPENING RECEPTION:
At 11am on Monday July 17th we had an opening reception to celebrate the installation of the new cinema room at Cherry Trees. There was a small gathering from our industry and we were joined by a number of the staff and care team at Cherry Trees.
Attending from our industry were James Applin from Nethaus Limited, the installer, Shane Caswell from Webro, who kindly donated product, Vaughan Price (and his partner Gwen) from Silicon Labs, who kindly organised some funding to help with the installation, Sarah James from Gasoline Media who very kindly looks after all our PR and Marketing, and David Parrett who is a fellow director of Together For Cinema, and this was the first installation that he has attended.
From Cherry Trees there was Rob Hope, Head of Fundraising and Communications, Paula Rankin, Head of Care and Carolyne Lucas, Executive Assistant, as well as several members of the Care Team.
The reception was a really happy event and the Cherry Trees team expressed their thanks to our industry and also outlined the positive impact their new cinema room facility will make to so many families.
Together For Cinema plaques were given to both Cherry Trees as a ‘Recipient Venue’ and to James Applin from Nethaus in acknowledgement of his efforts and commitment to help make this special room a reality.
INSTALLER COMMENTS:
"Nethaus have worked in the CI industry for 23 years - during that time, we’ve been exposed to the highs and lows - changes and trends. But one aspect that has always remained - is that typically, the beneficiaries of our skills and services are the rich and famous…if not famous, the rich. This is good - as an industry we all work hard to meet the exacting demands of high net worth individuals who know what they want. But sometimes, and I’m sure I’m not alone - I’ve felt the work I’ve undertaken has lacked soul, lacked meaning - not always made the impact we’d like.
And then I met Ian at another boring trade show. What a great concept I thought. Doing what we do, but for a massively appreciative audience. So I said “Yes!”
I worked with Ian and the team at Cherry Trees to work out how best to achieve a great picture and good sound, to a really deserving audience. The room wasn’t the easiest to work with, and the brief a little different (the room had to work in daylight, use of conduit etc) - but we got there, and the room looks fab.
I’m truly thankful to all the manufacturers who joined in making the room work. It has boosted my confidence in human nature, from Ian, to the staff at Cherry Trees, to the manufacturers who donated the kit.
A great experience, and a highlight of our portfolio - not for bling and wow factor - but for the fact it will bring smiles to kids who deserve it more than most of us will ever know.
Thanks to all for the chance to be involved."
James Applin, Managing Director, Nethaus
VENUE COMMENTS:
”We really were quite amazed when we first heard that someone was offering to come to Cherry Trees and build us a cinema room?! Initially, we weren’t sure we had a suitable room but that didn’t stop Ian from Together for Cinema and James from Nethaus from working their magic. They have been totally committed to the project and incredibly generous in helping to create this wonderful space.
On behalf of everyone at Cherry Trees we would like to say a huge thank you for your vision and hard work – we absolutely love our new cinema room and we know it will be enjoyed by our children and young people for years to come. Having this new facility is incredible as we can tailor the cinema experience to meet the needs of our young people with suitable lighting, noise levels and breaks if necessary so that everyone can join in the fun. The children are particularly loving ‘Singing Hands’ and Makaton on the big screen with amazing sound effects – it makes such a difference to the experience and encourages everyone to really get involved!
Thank you Together for Cinema, Nethaus and the many companies from the industry who contributed equipment so generously. It has been a pleasure to work with you all."
Clare Colborne-Baber, Chief Operating Officer, Cherry Trees
PEOPLE INVOLVED IN MAKING IT HAPPEN:
THANK YOU…, you have helped make a real difference at Cherry Trees, and in turn, have made a real difference to so many people’s lives.
FINANCIALS:
With any ‘luxury’ extra such as a cinema room, there is generally very little, if any, budget available from the care facility. This was the case at Cherry Trees, though they very kindly arranged some volunteer support to decorate the room in preparation for the new cinema facility.
The donation from Silicon Laboratories UK was a key part of ensuring a smooth journey and allowing James Applin and myself to speculate over the financials too much.
For Cherry Trees this is a lovely development but one that would never normally have been discussed as a budget possibility. Had it been a paid for installation the total cost, including consultation, design, installation and all the products would have been in the region of £25,000, and this amount of budget has so many other priorities at Cherry Trees...
SUMMARY:
This was Together for Cinema’s 38th good cause cinema room installation and took the Together for Cinema good cause community delivery to very nearly £940,000 worth of installations, had they all been paid for. It’s estimated that we will hit £1,000,000 worth of cinema room installations by the end of Summer 2023.
I have to again mention the incredible commitment from James Applin at Nethaus. His commitment to the installation was comprehensive and considerate. Sadly we’re unable to offer any financial return but I hope the ‘feel good’ factor of being involved in such a project is worth more than any payment. Thanks also again to Silicon Laboratories UK for their extremely generous donation of $5,000 that made those ‘extras’ easier and quicker to secure.
Another special memory making room is now complete and it’s great what an industry united can achieve…
For further details please contact Ian Morrish at:-
Work: 01372 454366 ♦ Mobile: 07768 398007 ♦ Email: ian@ad-con.uk
www.togetherforcinema.co.uk
Report Created by Ian Morrish. All quotes to be from Ian Morrish, unless otherwise stated.
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