1989 – After being founded by Dr Audrey Evans in Philadelphia in 1974, Ronald McDonald House Charities was established here in the UK.

1993 – Following Lady Jean Stoddart’s proposal to Ronald McDonald House Charities UK and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, the Alder Hey House first opened its doors with 26 bedrooms and shared bathrooms. The House was to be ran by a separate charity, The Alder Hey Family House Trust.

1994 – Four additional bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms were built, thanks to the support from the ‘Ronald McDonald House Isle of Man Family & Friends’.

1999 – Alder Hey Children’s Hospital closed their Cherry and Holly Wing, which had previously been used as accommodation. This now made MacHouse the sole form of accommodation for families of patients.

2003 – Due to rising demand for accommodation, the House more than doubled in size, with 39 new ensuite bedrooms added to support more families.

MacHouse now stood at 69 bedrooms.

2005 – The original 26 bedrooms were converted to ensuite, to ensure every family benefitted from having their own private bathroom space.

2012 – Thanks to the local community, and in particular actor Ricky Tomlinson, 15 new self-contained apartments were built in a separate building next to the main House, to provide long-term families with additional space.

These were officially opened by HRH Catherine Middleton, now Princess of Wales, in her first official royal engagement following her marriage to Prince William.

2016 – The brand-new Alder Hey Children’s Hospital was officially opened. The now state-of-the-art hospital included more specialist equipment and an expansion of services to help focus on the wellbeing and overall experience of both patients and their families.

2022 – After 29 years of operating as an independent Ronald McDonald House, the Alder Hey Family House Trust merged with Ronald McDonald House Charities UK. Now as part of the wider network of Houses, the House has better access to resources, and most crucially, access to more funding to ensure the vital work can continue in the years to come.

2023 – The Alder Hey House celebrated 30 wonderful years of supporting families in hospital, and what better time to unveil our exciting and ambitious transformation plans!