Building Blocks Appeal
2000–2003
Creating a brighter, more accessible future for young patients
The Charitable Foundation’s second major campaign, the Building Blocks Appeal, ran from 2000 to 2003 and raised £500,000 towards the construction of the £1.6 million Lighthouse Child Development Centre, along with an additional £90,000 to fund a GP referral suite in the Neptune Children’s Centre.
Opened in 2004, the Lighthouse Centre brought all medical services for children with disabilities under one roof, ending the need for families to travel between multiple hospital departments for different appointments. Designed to be a welcoming and engaging environment, it featured a play boat, nursery, garden, and a stimulating sensory room—helping to keep young patients entertained and relaxed during what could otherwise be a stressful day.
The GP referral suite provided a dedicated space where newly referred child patients could be seen on the ward in a child-friendly unit. This helped to reduce waiting times and made those first visits to hospital a more reassuring and less daunting experience for children and their families.
