The ground-breaking ceremony for construction of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease has taken place at Seacroft Hospital
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.
Rob left this message: “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.”
Dr Agam Jung, Consultant Neurologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, who leads the MND team at Seacroft Hospital says: “I can’t believe that we have reached this moment. It has been an incredibly fast-paced journey from my initial idea and discussions with Rob and Lindsey Burrow in 2020 to breaking ground now in 2024! I have so many emotions at present, gratitude being the foremost and of course immense pride as well. What we thought was a pipe dream in 2020 will soon become a reality taking us a step forward for our patient care and MND services.”
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.
