Real estate helps create real impact at GOSH

GOSH
GOSH consultant Rob Henderson examines patient Beth in the new Sight and Sound Centre

The sector has supported the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. Impact finds out more.

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is an international centre of excellence in child healthcare. Since its formation in 1852, GOSH has been dedicated to children’s healthcare, research, and innovation.  Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity) supports GOSH by fundraising to provide extraordinary care, expertise, and facilities. The real estate industry has supported several GOSH Charity fundraising projects.

One transformational project the real estate industry has fundraised towards is the Sight and Sound Centre, supported by Premier Inn. The centre opened in 2021 and was designed specifically to meet the needs of children with sight and hearing loss.

Patients with sight and hearing loss are assessed and treated in specialist, world-class clinical facilities. They represent the largest outpatient group with more than 8,000 patients and 25,000 patient visits each year. The cost of the building was met through charitable donations, helped in part by the real estate industry.

Sight and Sound treatment

Twins Beth and Iona were first treated at GOSH aged four months, and later were two of the first patients to be treated at the Sight and Sound Centre. Both girls were born with cataracts and spent their early lives under the care of the hospital’s ophthalmologists. Iona has undergone several surgeries, and her cataracts have been replaced with artificial lenses that improve her vision.

Beth and Iona are now thriving at school, both play grade three piano and can read beyond their age level. Beth and Iona’s care at the Centre continues, and their mum Judith Farshi expressed her gratitude to the donors who made the Sight and Sound Centre possible, saying: “Thank you, you are allowing people at GOSH to make a real difference to our children’s lives, you are helping to buy wands for magicians and as a parent, I am so grateful.”

The rebuilding of hospital facilities supports GOSH to provide the best care to seriously ill children and the money raised by the real estate industry supported the completion of the Sight and Sound Centre.

Deputy director of relationship fundraising Sarah Bissell said: “We are grateful for the invaluable support the real estate industry continues to offer GOSH Charity. Donations from the industry make a real difference to the lives of patients and their families when they come to GOSH for treatment.”

Audrey Klein of Planet Smart City also shared her experiences. “As a Corporate Board member for GOSH Charity, I witness first-hand the impact of real estate industry donations. I hope both sectors can continue to work together in future projects.”