Cinema Room at Robin House Children’s Hospice

Robin House Children’s Hospice, located near the banks of Loch Lomond in Balloch, offers critical care and support to children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

In early 2024, Loud & Clear partnered with Ian Morrish and Together for Cinema, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of those in children’s hospices and other suitable locations, to create a fully funded home cinema experience at Robin House Children’s Hospice in Balloch.

The goal was to develop and implement a state-of-the-art home cinema system designed to provide an immersive entertainment experience for children, their families, and hospice staff.

For more information on Robin House click here for their website.

“Loud & Clear was honoured to collaborate with Robin House Children’s Hospice and Ian Morrish from Together for Cinema to create a dedicated cinema space for the children, families and hospice staff. 

With the fantastic support of Ian and Robin House’s team, we were able to transform the room into a cinematic experience which hopefully brings joy to everyone who uses it at zero cost to CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland).

This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible donations from our suppliers, who provided top-tier audio-visual equipment. Their contributions ensured that the cinema offers a professional and immersive experience – not to mention the Loud & Clear installers and sub-contractors who pulled everything together on site.

We are proud to have been a part of this meaningful project, and it is our hope that this cinema brings many moments of happiness and comfort to those who need it most at Robin House.”

Barry Christie, Project Lead (Loud & Clear)

Project Goals

The primary objectives of the project were to:

• Create a high-quality entertainment space where children, families, and staff can enjoy movie nights and gaming sessions.
• Enhance the hospice environment with advanced audiovisual technology, making it a more comforting and enjoyable place.
• Foster positive and uplifting experiences amidst the challenges faced by the children and their families.

Loud & Clear collaborated closely with hospice stakeholders and on-site staff to ensure the cinema met the specific needs and requirements of the patients. There were also challenges to overcome, such as adapting to the dual-use space and positioning speakers optimally in a non-standard shaped room, which required creative solutions to maintain high-quality sound throughout the cinema area.

System Design and Installation

After the initial design phase was signed off, we installed a 7.2.2 Dolby Atmos surround sound system featuring an 85″ Sony TV. This TV was mounted on a bracket that allows movement so that patients in hospital beds could view the screen, accommodating those who could not physically use the seating. A TV system was chosen to accommodate the dual use of gaming and movies, and because a projector screen wouldn’t physically work with the existing furniture at the front of the room.

With sincerest thanks to everyone who supported this project

• REL Subwoofers: Providing deep, resonant bass to enhance the audio experience.
• 85″ Sony Screen: The focal point of the system, perfect for gaming on Playstation and movies alike.
• Totem Front Speakers: Donated by Redline Scotland, these speakers deliver clear and powerful sound.
• Marantz AVR: Manages the audio and video signals, ensuring seamless integration of all components.
• Control4: Facilitates intuitive control of the overall system, making it user-friendly for the hospice staff.
• Crestron Ceiling Speakers: Provide immersive overhead audio.
• Rako Lighting: Enhancing the atmosphere with customizable lighting and scenes, controlling multiple lighting circuits from a single keypad.
• QMotion Blinds: Electric blinds cover the rear windows, which are physically inaccessible, and can now be controlled via the Control4 app.
• Chord Company: Speaker cabling and interconnects.