Background
In early 1998 Dr David Stableforth and Dr David Honeybourne sought to establish a ward at Heartlands which would be exclusively for adults with CF. The Hospital itself was about to embark on an expansion and the new CF ward could be made available as part of this development. Unfortunately the NHS Trust was unable to offer this facility unless it was financed independently.
Accordingly Dr Stableforth set up a Planning Committee of interested people. This included Gerry Allen and Maggie Smith (both CF parents) who were Chairman and Treasurer respectively of the West Midlands Branch of the CF Trust. Pat McKeown who had been appointed as Fundraising Director and Alastair Smith who was Treasurer and a Trustee of the Appeal. The Appeal was launched at the Council House in Birmingham in May 1999 to an audience of Birmingham's professional and business communities.
It was decided to form a Fund-raising Committee, comprising of members of the professional and business communities. It was believed they would have good contacts with Charitable Trusts and local companies who might contribute to the Appeal. Initially this Committee was chaired by Dr Stableforth until Brian Duckworth took over, the then Managing Director of Severn Trent Water. Details of the main organisations which gave financial support are listed in the Sponsors page.
During this time various fundraising events were organised. The first major event was a Valentines Ball at the Metropole Hotel at the NEC in February, 2000. This raised well over £16,000 and also helped to publicise the Appeal with 500 people attending the Ball. Due to the success of the Valentines Ball, further Balls were held in 2001 and 2002. Cycle rides were also a popular way of raising funds, the main ones being from Lands End to John O'Groats, in Egypt and in Beijing Province in China. Supporters also held Quiz Nights, had coffee mornings, sponsored slims and a variety of other imaginative ways of extracting money from friends and relatives.
In autumn 2002 the Centre was completed and officially opened by the Duke of Kent in November 2002.
