WATCH: We speak with Tommy Fury as he visits the new mental health unit site at Alder Hey

Professional Boxer and Love Island star Tommy Fury visited Alder Hey to see progress on the new Mental Health Unit being built next to the world-renowned hospital in Liverpool.

Tommy, who is a great supporter of the work of Alder Hey, has been a Charity Champion for the hospital Charity’s ‘7 in 10’ appeal for the past year.

Tommy has headed the Charity’s The #MillionMiles Challenge which has encouraged people to get fit and raise funds for the hospital whilst doing so.

The 7in10 appeal, which is raising money to help enhance mental health services offered by Alder Hey, has now successfully achieved two-thirds of its £3m target total.

Tommy was greeted by Alder Hey’s Fresh CAMHS group, who are a group of young people helping shape children and young people’s mental health services across Liverpool and went on a guided site tour of our new mental health facility set to be opened next year.

Tommy, was shown the progress against the development of two new facilities that will house Alder Hey’s mental health services for children and young people.

One of the buildings will be named ‘Sunflower House’ and will provide inpatient mental health care for under 13s, whilst other mental health services provided by Alder Hey will be located in the adjacent Catkin Centre. 

Tommy said:

“It was an honour to come to Alder Hey today. I’ve been a supporter of Alder Hey Charity for a good while now and it’s become even closer to me and my family after recent events. Mental health is just as important as physical health and it’s great to see the progress that’s been made here. Thank you for having me.”

Fiona Ashcroft, CEO of Alder Hey Children’s Charity said:

“It was wonderful to welcome Tommy today and show him exactly where the donations he has helped to raise are going and the massive impact they will have on children and young people’s mental health. Tommy is one of our incredible Charity Champions and we couldn’t be more grateful to him for raising the profile of the #MillionMiles challenge and helping to get those donations in. The appeal recently reached the £2 million milestone which is a massive achievement.”

The new buildings will provide vital services to children and young people who have complex needs and have been designed around the needs of the children and young people being cared for. The 7in10 Appeal will help the Catkin Centre to be very sensory focussed and to create a feeling of safety, security and be very welcoming to the children and young people who visit.

Sunflower House will be a new 12 bed, tier 4 mental health inpatient unit for children under the age of 13 and will replace the current Dewi Jones unit. 

You can still support the appeal by donate here or sign up for Tommy’s #MillionMiles Challenge here.