The Garfield Weston Foundation has awarded £10 million to Moorfields Eye Charity for Oriel, a new integrated centre for advancing eye health which will be the new home for Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, opening in 2027.
The £10 million grant for Oriel will help push the boundaries of eye research, delivering breakthrough treatments to the front line of patient care.
It will support bringing clinicians and researchers from Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology together under one roof for closer collaborative working.
Oriel is the joint initiative between Moorfields Eye Hospital, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity that will see services move from their current premises near Old Street to part of the St Pancras Hospital site in Camden.
This cross-disciplinary approach will increase the pace at which new discoveries and treatments are developed. It will revolutionise eye health benefitting people with sight loss in the UK and internationally.
Philanthropy is critical to making Oriel a reality. The Garfield Weston Foundation is one of the first donors to Oriel. Their transformative gift to Oriel will further develop excellence and innovation in research, care and the training of experts to be world-leaders in eye health.
Our trustees are delighted to support this integrated care, research and education centre which will benefit those affected by eye health conditions on a global scale. The new centre will build on Moorfields’ and UCL’s reputation for excellence with new treatments, providing the best care for patients and saving people’s sight.
Philippa Charles, director of the Garfield Weston Foundation
Oriel was granted final NHS and government approvals at the end of 2022.
Moorfields acquired the site in February 2023 from Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust through an NHS-to-NHS transaction approved by the Secretary of State for Health.
The contract to build the centre was awarded to contractors Bouygues UK that same month. Construction on Oriel starts later this year.
We’re so very grateful to the Garfield Weston Foundation for their generous gift which will help transform the future of eye health. The new eye health centre will harness the expertise of the partners with closer working between clinicians and researchers speeding up the delivery of the highest quality treatments and therapies for patients.
Robert Dufton, chief executive, Moorfields Eye Charity
Moorfields Eye Charity has committed £10 million from its own resources to Oriel.
Moorfields Eye Charity and UCL are working in partnership on a fundraising campaign to support Oriel. Philanthropy has a vital role in securing the future of eye health on a global scale.
This is the first of a number of Oriel donor announcements the charity will be making.
