[From left to right, Toby Ingle, Lead Architect, Corstorphine and Wright; Paul Watkins, Director of Fundraising, Leeds Hospitals Charity; Geoff Burrow, Rob’s father; Dr Agam Jung, Consultant Neurologist; Claire Lang, Specialist Nurse; Katie Dowson, Fundraiser affected by MND]
It was Rob’s wish, supported by the family, to mark this significant milestone. The event was attended by many of the project’s supporters, including clinical staff, fundraisers, architects, patients and their families, Rob’s parents and sisters, and Kevin Sinfield.
With the build expected to take around a year, work has now started. This news is joined by an update from Leeds Hospitals Charity that there is now £1 million left to reach the £6.8 million fundraising target.
Prior to his death, Rob Burrow, CBE shared this message:
“I’m absolutely delighted. Today marks a significant milestone not just for me, but for everyone battling motor neurone disease in Leeds and the surrounding region. This care centre, named in my honour, stands as a beacon of hope and support. It’s a place where patients will find not only medical assistance but also the compassionate care and understanding they deserve, for them and for their families. Our journey with this disease is challenging, but together, through this centre, we will create a community that uplifts and empowers each other. My dream is that every person who walks through these doors feels supported, understood, and never alone. This centre is for all of us, our shared sanctuary.”
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust announced a plan to build a new centre for MND patients and Leeds Hospitals Charity launched their fundraising appeal in September 2021. During this time, Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield have taken their awareness-raising and fundraising activities for the MND community to the highest heights, referrals to the Leeds MND service have doubled and technology and research have moved forward.
The new building represents a flagship centre in the North of England, where MND patients can be seen, their families and carers can be supported and where clinical specialists can work together and agilely adapt to the ever-changing advances of the condition.
Stakeholder sessions to work on design and functionality of the new centre have been led by project managers from Leeds Teaching Hospitals and architects Corstorphine + Wright since July 2023. These have incorporated the views of patients, of their families and carers, of the needs of clinical staff and of other specialist services. The building will be an iconic landmark with sustainability at its core. It is hoped that research will be a part of future services.
Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust says:
“It’s a sad day but it’s also a day to celebrate – we are starting work today on the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, a centre that was Rob’s vision. The new centre will help advance our patient care, best practice sharing and hopefully research in the long term which will be such a fitting legacy for Rob. Rob’s vision was very much at the centre of this project and his determination and grit that he demonstrated throughout his life and his illness is really what’s got us here today.”
The new centre covers a space of more than 1,000m² and the designs are impressive, arranged as a series of three primary forms with a light and spacious atrium, and surrounded by the green trees of the Seacroft site. Wheelchair-accessible parking to serve the facility and newly landscaped garden are key parts of the centre.
The idea is that patients can benefit from real-world situations when testing devices and mobility aids and specialist areas for speech and language therapy, dietetics, neurology, respiratory and palliative care, as well as functions including a large therapy space, a procedure room and an area to allow patients to digitally ‘bank’ their voices if they use a digital aid to support communication.
The building will provide holistic and seamless care at a one-stop centre, allowing a greater sense of cohesion and stability for patients. MND patients have complex, changing needs. By designing the centre to meet these needs, all patients who are treated here will receive the best care they can for their condition.
Paul Watkins, Director of Fundraising at Leeds Hospitals Charity says:
“I have eagerly anticipated this day since we first launched our appeal, it marks an incredibly exciting milestone in our journey to build the Rob Burrow Centre for MND. It was a bittersweet day, and I’m sad that Rob wasn’t able to witness this moment as we had planned, but I know he would be beaming with pride. I’m sure the thousands of people who have donated to the appeal will share in our excitement to see building work starting on site, as we move one step closer to making Rob’s dream a reality.
“Together, we have now raised over £5.8 million of our target, and I’m confident that together with support from the MND community, we can raise the final £1 million needed to cross the finish line!”
You can donate to the appeal and find out more through Leeds Hospitals Charity’s website.