Children’s charity is misrepresented

There was an inaccuracy in your story “Great Ormond Street charity seeks head of fundraising” (MW September 23).

You say that Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity’s (GOSHCC) marketing and fundraising team raised over &£63m last year. If only this were true; we did in fact raise &£26.9m.

The hospital is engaged in a &£312m redevelopment and as part of this work the &£63m was transferred from the GOSH Redevelopment Trust to the GOSHCC – the charitable equivalent of moving money from your back pocket to your front; it is not new money.

We still have &£123m to raise over the next five years as part of this redevelopment programme that will allow us to replace outdated and failing buildings, improve facilities for families, strengthen research, treat more patients and remain at the forefront of paediatric medicine.

Unfortunately, we are often perceived to be a “rich” charity – which given the near &£123m shortfall, we are not – and overstating what we actually raise may affect our fundraising efforts.

Chris Seymour

PR officer, GOSHCC

London WC1