Why every West Yorkshire home will get a letter about the £5m Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease appeal

Leeds Hospitals Charity is leading the fundraising bid to get funds together for what will be The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease - a flagship unit that will see all MND services housed under one roof for the first time in Leeds.

The charity wants to get the centre built and opened as soon as possible and says asking people to make donations of whatever they can will help get to the £5m needed.

Esther Wakeman, chief executive of the Leeds Hospitals Charity said the campaign wasn't just about raising £5m - but doing it as fast as possible.

There are a whole host of events lined up from the charity's plans for a concert and fun run, to a sponsored walk by a mother whose son died from motor neurone disease (MND) and a former rugby referee who is swimming a mile a day.

They have, Ms Wakeman, added been inspired by Rob's former Leeds Rhinos team-mate, Kevin Sinfield who last week ran 101 miles in 24 hours. He has raised more than £2m so far with proceeds being split between the Leeds Hospitals Charity appeal for the centre and the Motor Neurone Disease Association to fund research.

She said: "How do we get to £5m? What we want to do is use the inspiration from Kevin doing the 101 mile run - that was an unbelievable achievement. That has raised £2m so far, we will receive 50 per cent so we are at £1m with £4m to go.

"We have seen an uplift in people doing their own fundraising, we have got a lady doing a walk in memory of her son who died from MND and a former rugby referee doing a mile a day swim.

"There are all sorts of activities that people are doing. Rob’s family are doing events and we are looking at a music concert and fun run. It is not just about £5m but how do we do it as quickly as possible. We really want to get the centre open as soon as possible because it will make such a difference to families and people like Rob but we need everybody to get behind it.

"We are writing to everybody in West Yorkshire next week to see if they will make a donation because not everybody will run a hundred miles. People might want to make a gift or leave a gift in their will. There are lots of ways that people can support the appeal. There are 750,000 homes across West Yorkshire - if everybody did their bit, we can soon get to that."

Although the location has yet to be decided and the final details over plans and how it will look will come at a later date, it is hoped that the centre will be "over and above" what the NHS already provides.

While other MND research and treatment centres exist, The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease will be the first to have its design led by the holistic needs of the patient

and their family, creating a supportive environment that complements the expert team providing the care.

Other ideas mentioned include tranquil gardens, a rugby sculpture in the grounds and a graffiti wall where people can write supportive messages.

Ms Wakeman added: "From the donations that have come in, people have got so much love for Rob Burrow and his family and Kevin Sinfield. The friendship between the two of them, it really makes you feel like he would do anything for his friend.

"There are lots of people with MND who don’t have that support network and that is why Rob is so keen to use his status to raise awareness. There are people not as fortunate as him who will need that centre and it will be a lifeline.

"Our role is to provide over and above what the NHS would pay for, we don’t want it to be a standard, clinical building but something with patients and their families in mind. It is much more than a hospital building, but something that is a flagship centre for these patients."

About Leeds Hospitals Charity

Leeds Hospitals Charity is the charity for Leeds Teaching Hospitals and supports NHS staff to by raising funds for equipment, services, education and research. It covers Leeds General

Infirmary, Leeds Children’s Hospital, Leeds Cancer Centre, St James’s University Hospital, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Seacroft Hospital, Wharfedale Hospital and Leeds Dental Institute.

Working with local communities, schools and businesses across the city and beyond, each year the charity provides £5m in additional funding for Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United. With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.