Partners behind Birmingham’s highest office building hand over £22,500 to support families of ill children

Partners behind Birmingham’s highest office building hand over £22,500 to support families of ill children

Birmingham, 11 August 2022 - The construction and development partners behind 103 Colmore Row, the recently completed building which became the tallest offices outside London, have raised £22,500 to support the families of poorly children.

The massive donation was handed over to charity, Ronald McDonald House, where it pays for a room. The charity supports the families of ill children at nearby Birmingham Children’s Hospital by providing them with free accommodation as a home away from home when they most need it.

Alongside en-suite bedrooms, the 66-bedroom House provides families with the opportunity to cook and eat together, and offers a lounge, kitchen and play area for families with a child in hospital.

BAM’s Commercial Manager Dave Watson, who co-ordinated the contributions from the project team comprising BAM Construction, Sterling Property Ventures, Tristan Capital Partners, the design team and sub-contractors, said: ‘When BAM began work here in 2018 we already had a close relationship with Birmingham Children’s Hospital whom we adopted when constructing Aston University Student Villages. We had previously created an £11 million specialist burns unit for them in 2007. Ronald McDonald House is a partner to the Hospital so we adopted them as our local charity at 103 Colmore Row, and did a series of fundraising events. To most people, what they do is something we take for granted as an everyday family function, but to these families it is a godsend. Our team has hosted raffles, been baking cakes and generally seizing any creative opportunities we could to build a pot of money for the charity.’

The large size of the contribution means BAM will have a one of Ronald McDonald 66 rooms named after it. Sponsors of rooms are actively welcomed by the charity to ensure a family has access to a room 365 days of the year.

Joanne Howe, National Corporate Partnerships Manager for Ronald McDonald House, said: ‘We are hugely grateful to BAM and 103 Colmore Row for their support over these past few years.  It has been fantastic to be able to invite them in to the House to officially unveil the plaque and to tour the House.  This year so far we’ve supported over 600 families and in 2021 families would travel an average of 64 miles and stay for an average of 17 nights.  We could not do this without people like BAM and 103 Colmore Row and know we can keep on building on this fantastic support.’

James Howarth, Managing Director, Sterling Property Ventures, which also contributed, added: ‘Sterling and Tristan were delighted to make a significant contribution to the funds raised by BAM to achieve this fantastic total. The sum will help support families whose children are under the care of Birmingham's wonderful Children's Hospital.’