We’re delighted to announce that The National Brain Appeal’s £7million fundraising campaign to help us create the world’s first specialist centre for people with rare forms of dementia has moved a step closer with the purchase of two interconnected buildings in London’s Woburn Square.

Securing the buildings has been made possible thanks to a £2.7m donation from The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation. Garfield Weston Foundation donated £2.25m. Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation and Iceland Foods stores also raised £1.1m towards the centre following a charity partnership with The National Brain Appeal and a pledge from Sir Malcolm Walker. Rosetrees Trust, also an early supporter of the project, is making a £250,000 donation that the charity will match through the vital fundraising activities of many RDS members and their families.

The renovation of the buildings, designed by Hawkins Brown architects, will blend lived and professional experience in a welcoming, informal environment. A substantial kitchen will sit at the heart of the centre, with lounge areas for larger group discussions and smaller rooms for conversations between individuals, families and advisers and therapists. There will also be dedicated spaces for physical, artistic and cultural activities. IT pods, booths, and audiovisual equipment will enable phone consultations, live streaming and recording to increase the reach of meetings and training sessions.

The centre will lead in the provision of education on rare dementias for families, as well as health and social care professionals.

The centre, near to the Dementia Research Centre at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, is expected to open in 2025.