Cure Leukaemia

The Leukaemia Centre at the University Hospital Birmingham (UHB) opened for treatment to patients in May 2006. The Centre is based in Morris House on the site of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The Leukaemia Centre project is a £5 million initiative to develop and deliver new treatments to benefit leukaemia patients. The University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, supported by a grant of £2.2 million from Advantage West Midlands, commissioned a newly refurbished building, to house the Leukaemia Centre.

This facility has transformed the environment for patients receiving treatment for leukaemia. It also allows the outstanding team of scientists and clinicians based in Birmingham to continue their work developing new and more effective treatments for leukaemia. Cure Leukaemia has set itself the task of raising £5 million to support the development of this world class clinical research programme within the Centre. In addition the charity seeks to provide support to patients.

The Cure Leukaemia Appeal

The charity was set up by a group of dedicated haematologists, patients and friends to raise funds to support the development of the Leukaemia Centre and its care of leukaemia patients.

Aims of Cure Leukaemia

■ Provide facilities for world class research.

■ Develop new clinical treatments for leukaemia patients.

■ Fund the provision of new drugs and treatments which may not yet be routinely

available.

■ Provide funding of extra research posts to drive forward research.

■ Support leukaemia patients and their families and carers.

Why Support Cure Leukaemia?

■ Birmingham’s scientists can turn pure research into viable treatments to benefit patients.

■ We offer a vital lifeline to patients throughout the region.

■ All support will improve the quality of life for all leukaemia patients.

How is the money is spent?

At this point the appeal has

■ raised £3.2 million including £2.24m to build the Centre which is now fully operational

■ leveraged £4 million of free drugs for clinical trials which are having a world wide impact

■ funded salaries for research nurses worth £0.5 million

■ funded £160,000 for patient care and comforts through purchase of air conditioning,

commissioned art, furnishing of a quiet room, wheelchairs,

■ counseling support and the launch of a support group.

■ funded vital equipment not available through NHS funds to the value of £100,000

A Message from our Charman, Graham Hampson Silk

Dear Supporter

As a founding trustee way back in October 2003 it was with some pride and pleasure that I was nominated as the next Chairman of Trustees for Cure Leukaemia at our AGM on 8th January 2009.

The first thing I would like to do is pay tribute to the excellent job done as chairman by my predecessor Michael Woolley who was also a founding trustee. He worked hard with fellow trustees to develop the good governance of the charity which will stand us in good stead as my role, to develop the corporate support of the region for the benefit of our fundraising ambitions, unfolds. It is a vital task as we all face a most difficult future due to the economic downturn we are all having to live with at the moment.

We have already had a great start to our new fundraising year – which started on November 1st – when we managed to suspend the credit crisis for six hours at our Christmas Ball and raised an incredible £50,000 thanks to the hard work of our Cure Leukaemia staff and the huge generosity of our supporters who turned up in great numbers.

Since 2004 £3.2 million has been raised. This has been spent on the new Leukaemia Centre, the funding of fourteen research nurses, statisticians and co-ordinators and equipment as well support for the patients. The results are startling and have attracted nearly £12 million of pro bono drugs donated by pharmaceutical companies for clinical trials which, in the first instance, can only benefit patients who are part of the trials here at the Leukaemia Centre.

In November Professor Craddock, another of our founding trustees, presented 5 papers on the world-class research that is being done here in Birmingham to the World Haematology Conference in San Francesco. A huge accolade for the achievements of the Centre.

With your support the trustees and the fundraising team will work ceaselessly to continue the momentum of the last four years and with exciting programmes in 2009 to achieve our ambition to find a cure for leukaemia by 2015.

Graham Hampson Silk