Plans for Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease approved by Leeds City Council

Rob has helped raise millions for research into MND following his diagnosis in 2019. He has also campaigned for more awareness and research into the disease and was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list.

This weekend’s Rob Burrow Marathon will also see thousands of people fundraising for charity as they run around Leeds, with man of them raising more money for MND research.

The plans for the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds were ranted approval by the city council earlier this week.

According to a statement from architects Corstorphine & Wright the brand-new centre, which will be run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, will “create comfortable and peaceful surroundings for patients and their families”. The building has been designed in close consultation with the hospital’s clinical staff, patients, and the wider MND community, as well as the Burrow family.

The building of the centre has been funded by Leeds Hospitals Charity, through its Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease appeal which has now raised more than £5.6 million of its £6.8 million target.The statement adds the centre will “be a hub of innovation, education, and excellence in the treatment of MND for the region, bringing together holistic patient-centred care in a purpose-built environment”.

Architect and associate director at Corstorphine & Wright, Toby Ingle, said: "Receiving planning approval for the new MND centre is another positive step forward for this project, and we are all so pleased that Leeds City Council has been so supportive of our vision. With this approval, we embark on the next chapter to transform compassion into reality, providing an exceptional facility for the care and support of MND patients and their families and ensuring a sanctuary where hope thrives, and lives are uplifted.”

Drees & Sommer UK has been appointed as the project manager for the new centre’s development.

Emma Quinn, associate project manager at Drees & Sommer UK, said: “The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease will make a real difference in the lives of many people, providing vital support in a modern environment tailored to the needs of patients, clinicians, and the local community.

"Collaborating closely with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Corstorphine & Wright on this important project has been a real privilege and we’re delighted that the plans have been approved and that we can look forward to the next steps in the centre’s development.”