More than 150 leading figures from the City gathered at Guildhall for the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group’s drinks reception—a special preview event ahead of our fundraising banquet in February 2025 at Mansion House.
We were honoured to have a distinguished guest list, including Sir Andrew Cash OBE, Chair of SJEHG, who delivered a moving keynote speech. He reflected on the hospital’s nearly thousand-year history, from its origins with the Knights Hospitallers in 1098, to our current mission of providing vital eye care in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
A special thanks to Chris Hayward, Chair of the City Policy & Resources Committee, for hosting the event at this iconic venue. Our enduring partnership with the City of London continues to be a cornerstone of our support.
We were delighted to welcome Dr Andre Valente, representing the Champalimaud Vision Award, which SJEHG was honoured to receive last year. Dr Valente travelled from Lisbon, Portugal to join us for the evening. We were also pleased to host representatives from one of our longstanding supporters, the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Members of the City’s Livery Companies, whose generous support has been integral to our mission since our founding in 1882, were also in attendance.
During his speech, Sir Andrew shed light on the pressing challenges we face in Gaza, where the ongoing conflict has severely disrupted our services. “Our hospital, one of the few major buildings left standing in Gaza City, has remained closed since events of October 7th. A facility that once treated 40,000 patients annually, preventing blindness and alleviating suffering, has been unable to treat a single one of them. Tens of thousands of people are now at risk of losing their sight.”
Sir Andrew’s message was clear: our work is more critical than ever, and our resolve to end avoidable blindness in the region remains unwavering.
Harriet Wheeler, Executive Head of UK Office says “Thank you to everyone who attended. It was wonderful to see so many new faces as well as familiar ones. The challenges are immense, but so too is the power of collective compassion. Together, we are building a future where sight is restored, and lives are transformed.”
We are deeply grateful for your continued support and look forward to welcoming many of you to our main event in February at Mansion House.
Together, we can continue to save sight and transform lives in one of the world’s most challenging regions.
Stay tuned for more details about the February event.