Dame Barbara Windsor joins Premier Inn and GOSH patients at Lord Mayors Show
On 12th November, the top 25 fundraisers from Premier Inn and Restaurants celebrated raising £7.5 million for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity a year ahead of schedule.
The team members from across the UK were invited to meet patients from the world leading children’s hospital and Dame Barbara Windsor on a specially designed float that will parade through London during the Lord Mayor’s Show taking place today.
To commemorate this significant milestone, team members presented Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity with a Family Album yesterday, Friday 11th November, collating photos and stories of all the fundraising activities that have taken place since the partnership began in 2012. Simon Ewins, Chief Operating Officer for Premier Inn also announced the fantastic news that teams up and down the country, with the support of guests and suppliers, had hit their £7.5million fundraising target a year ahead of schedule.
The team members also took a first look at the brand new Premier Inn Clinical Building, which they have helped to raise money for since the charitable partnership began in 2012.
The Premier Inn Clinical Building, part of the Mittal Children’s Medical Centre will officially open next autumn, this vital new building will see cramped, outdated wards replaced with brand new state of the art facilities providing space for a parent to stay by the child’s bedside overnight.
Premier Inn and Restaurant’s Simon Ewins, who presented the Family Album to Tim Johnson, Chief Executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity said:
“We are delighted to have raised £7.5million for GOSH and I would like to say huge congratulations to all our fantastic team members who have made this happen through personal challenges and team activities over the last few years, we really couldn’t have done it without them!
“We are so proud to support this extremely important charity and can’t wait to see the Premier Inn Clinical Building open its doors to patients next year. Our focus now is continuing our fundraising efforts and hopefully unveiling some more exciting plans for the partnership next year – watch this space!”
Dame Barbara Windsor, DBE said: “As a former patient at GOSH, I’ve never forgotten the kindness and help I received from the amazing nurses at the hospital. To be here celebrating the fundraising efforts of Premier Inn and Restaurants team members is fantastic and speaking to the patients and their families who will be parading in the show is humbling. £7.5 million is a fantastic contribution and I look forward to seeing the new Premier Inn Clinical Building when it’s finished!”
Tim Johnson, Chief Executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity said “An enormous thank you to everyone at Premier Inn and Restaurants who have raised a fantastic £7.5 million. This is an incredible achievement which will enable the hospital to provide state of the art facilities to help to treat the seriously ill childrenin its care.”
For high res photos please contact Claire.borgeat@whitbread.com
