https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/press-releases/al-khair-foundation-pledges-funding-support-prayer-and-reflection-space-great-ormond-street-hospital/

The Al-Khair Foundation pledges funding to support prayer and reflection space at Great Ormond Street Hospital

20 Mar 2018, 1:20 p.m.

Great Ormond Street Hospital main entrance

The Muslim Prayer Room and Contemplation Space will be supported by a £300,000 pledge from leading Muslim charity, The Al-Khair Foundation, a humanitarian charity which has its headquarters in Croydon.

The charity – which provides emergency aid around the world and works on UK-based projects covering education, healthcare, employment and domestic violence – has donated the significant sum to transform an area into a cherished space for patients, families and staff. The space will become an essential part of the hospital helping to improve the social and spiritual well-being of young patients and their families.

Jim Linthicum, Senior Chaplain for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), said: “Holistic healthcare is much more than meeting the medical needs of the child. These facilities are so important for our patients, staff and families, it will provide a space for quiet reflection as well as a peaceful place for prayer.”

Imam Qasim Rashid Ahmad, Chairman and Founder of Al-Khair Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be working with GOSH to create this space, which is much needed. The hospital has a world-class reputation for its medical capabilities and standards of care, and a reflection space with a prayer area will add to its ability to support people when they need it most.

“Having space and peace to reflect can help when we are at our most vulnerable and we are committed to making a space that will help everyone.”

GOSH, which opened in 1852, is currently being redeveloped to maintain its world-class standing, improve facilities for care and research, and to keep pace with a growing demand for its services.

The prayer room and reflection space are due to open in September 2018.

Contact Information

For further information please contact the GOSH-ICH Press Office on 020 7239 3039.

For genuine and urgent out-of-hours queries call switchboard on 020 7405 9200.

Notes to Editors

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust is the country’s leading centre for treating sick children, with the widest range of specialists under one roof.

With the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, we are the largest centre for paediatric research outside the US and play a key role in training children’s health specialists for the future.

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity needs to raise money to support the hospital to give children who need help the most the best chance for life. The charity funds patient and family support programmes, provides the latest medical equipment and supports the essential redevelopment of the hospital. It has also launched a five-year strategy to support research in some of the most serious and complex childhood diseases. Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity is the largest dedicated funder of paediatric research in the UK and our work is entirely funded through the generosity of supporter donations. For more information visit www.gosh.org