The Barclay Foundation, the charitable organisation for Sir Frederick
and Sir David Barclay and their families, today announced a gift of £11
million towards Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, to meet the
vital need to rebuild and refurbish the hospital, and to fund pioneering
research.
£2 million of the donation will go towards a new Heart
and Lung Centre, within the hospital’s new £321 million children’s
medical centre.
Sir Frederick Barclay said, "The Foundation
wanted to support a cause that was at the forefront of child health and
where our investment would really make a difference. Anyone visiting
the hospital wants to do all they can to support the children there, who
come from all over the country. But we also need to help future
generations too.
"Great Ormond Street faces a significant
challenge, with a £170 million fundraising target to build the new
children’s medical centre. The hospital also needs significantly more
funds to strengthen its world class research.
Mr. Aidan Barclay
added, "The Foundation is normally private about its grant making
activity. We are aware that the hospital’s good works are known,
however, we are concerned that its urgent need for funds is not. We are
therefore making this public announcement to encourage others to get
behind the drive to raise more funds."
Currently some wards at
Great Ormond Street are housed in a 1937 building, so for example,
cubicles can be too small for equipment, specialists and the family to
be by the bedside together. The cardiac unit operates in highly cramped
and inefficient premises in another building, so for example, cardiac
intensive care has one third of the recommended space per clinical bed.
Although clinical care is excellent, our facilities mean a poorer
quality experience for many patients, their families and staff.
Welcoming
the gift Great Ormond Street Hospital Chief Executive Dr Jane Collins
said, "We’re delighted. This extremely generous gift will really make a
difference to some of the country’s sickest children. We want to
deliver the very highest quality of care for our families and
philanthropic leadership of this sort is vital to achieve this."
Contact information:
GOSH-ICH Press Office: 020 7239 3125
Email: Coxs@gosh.nhs.uk
For genuine and urgent out of hours call speak to switchboard on 020 7405 9200
