Birmingham Children’s Hospital has unveiled plans for a 2,200-litre aquarium which will be housed in its new main entrance.

The charity’s £3m It Starts Here Appeal to transform the whole front entrance of the hospital has successfully reached the £2.5m milestone, paving the way for it to start share its exciting vision for the interior.

Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity launched the appeal in summer last year. Last updated nearly three decades ago, the hospital’s existing main entrance is cramped, dull and unwelcoming and doesn’t reflect the world-class care that takes place beyond it. The hospital lacks communal areas where patients and families can take much needed breaks from wards and clinical spaces.

The entrance will become the new heart of the hospital, transforming the existing walkway into a welcoming, child-friendly, open and bright community space which reduces the fear and anxiety of patients and reflects the needs of everyone who uses it.

With only £500,000 left to raise, the hospital project team has been busy working on plans for the interior design. With input from patients, families and staff, the team has proposed a number of themed areas for the entrance based on the natural world, including mountains, safari, rainforest and deep sea.

At the centre of the deep sea area will sit the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the new entrance – the 2,200-litre aquarium. This impressive 4m x 2.2m tank will be filled with approximately 61 fish species and over 300 fish.

Spending time in nature is crucial for a child’s development, but for many of the hospital’s long-term patients its city-centre location means they’re restricted in exploring the natural world. Bringing an aquarium to the hospital will deliver several benefits for all patients and families. It will create a calming effect on children, as well as reduce stress, ease anxiety, improve mood and provide distraction from what’s ahead, all of which are crucial for young patients when they visit. It also provides the opportunity for social interaction with other children and families while waiting for appointments or taking breaks from the wards. Features like this are currently lacking from the hospital and why improving the space at the front entrance is so important.

Other features of the proposed new interior include creating natural light to provide a sense of space; somewhere to eat, sit and relax before, during or after appointments, including a quiet area for neurodiverse patients and space to wait and ‘handover’ to a partner before heading to work or returning home to care for siblings. Plus, entertainment and distraction for kids such as interactive screens and play areas, as well as a welcome desk and clear signage to direct families around the hospital.

The space will also feature a community area where performances, holiday celebrations and drop-in activities for patients and siblings will take place. Once open, the charity’s Christmas Grotto will be relocated here, enabling patients and families to come down from the wards and experience the magic of Christmas without waiting in the cold.

There is now just half a million to raise for the appeal. The progress in reaching this incredible milestone is thanks to the generosity of the public, businesses and philanthropic individuals and organisations.

This includes a contribution of almost £750,000 from the charity’s visionary network of Changemakers – made up of some of the region’s top business leaders and companies. Plus more than £200,000 raised by supporters from the local business community who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and a phenomenal six-figure legacy gift from the late Margaret Hilda Jones, whose teenage son was treated at the hospital after a road traffic accident, before sadly passing away.

More details and plans for the main entrance will be revealed as the appeal and project progresses. To find out more about the It Starts Here Appeal, or to donate, please visit bch.org.uk/it-starts-here