Philanthropists gift £1m for new eye health centre
Impression of the proposed atrium
The Schroder Foundation and Family have donated £1m to Moorfields Eye Charity towards the new centre for advancing eye health. The building is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2027.
Oriel is a joint initiative between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity that will move services from City Road, Islington, to a new, integrated centre in St Pancras, Camden. It will bring together world-leading experts “to push the boundaries of eye research, delivering breakthrough treatments to the front line of patient care”. The gift will be used to promote learning and collaborations for researchers, clinicians, trainees and students from all over the world.
The new pioneering eye health centre will feature flexible spaces designed for both face-to-face and online learning. This will include hands-on skills practice, informal discussions, multi-disciplinary meetings and lectures. High-spec audio-visual technology will allow for immersive learning experiences.
The gift from the Schroder Foundation and Family is in memory of the late Bruno Schroder (1933-2019) and is said to reflect their interests in and support of education, collaboration and eye health.
Robert Dufton, chief executive of the Moorfields Eye Charity, said: “Thanks to the support of forward-thinking philanthropists such as the Schroder Foundation and Family, experts at Moorfields Eye Hospital, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, across the UK and worldwide will benefit from this innovative learning environment within the new eye health centre – ultimately improving patient outcomes.”
Impression of proposed lecture space
Sheila Adam, chief nurse at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “Thank you so much to the Schroder Foundation and Family for their generous gift, which will enable teaching and sharing through a global network of educators and learners, in an environment which encourages excellence.”
The trustees of the Schroder Foundation and Family stated: “We’re delighted to support education within this groundbreaking eye health centre in memory of Bruno Schroder. We hope these facilities will enhance education and collaboration, and through the sharing of new discoveries and breakthroughs benefit millions of people with sight loss worldwide.”
The new centre for advancing eye health is expected to reach the highest level of the building, level 10, by the end of this year.
Moorfields Eye Charity and UCL are working in partnership on a fundraising campaign to support Oriel, the joint partnership between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity.