Our History Our hospital has been a centre of paediatric excellence, providing specialist care to sick kids from across the UK and beyond, for more than 160 years. Since Dr Thomas Heslop set up the Birmingham and Midland Free Hospital for Sick Children in 1862, fundraising has been the beating heart of the hospital, enabling it to provide services to patients and families. Without the kindness of our supporters, our hospital wouldn’t be where it is today. From raising funds to allow the hospital to open its doors all those years ago, we’ve come a very long way. Thanks to the generosity of our fundraisers and donors, we’ve been able to go above and beyond to ensure our patients and families can receive the very best care and treatment in the most welcoming and comfortable environments possible. We’ve enabled the build of Waterfall House, home to the UK’s first-ever rare diseases centre, and Magnolia House, the first bereavement centre of its kind in a hospital setting, creating a standard of care across the UK. We’ve also been able to fund ground-breaking research and innovative, world-renowned surgeries using the most up-to-date equipment. All of this, and so much more, has only been made possible that to the generosity of our supporters, the determination of our leaders and the bravery of our patients. Our history is growing every day and we’re so grateful to have incredible people to join us on our journey. Read our latest news to see how your support is transforming the lives of our patients. We will always need support to give them the care they deserve. There are many ways you can help us continue to do more for sick kids: Set up a regular gift Find how you can volunteer with us Donate to an existing appeal Our charity timeline Manage Cookie Preferences