In 2003 we held meetings with four different consultants, specialising in running capital appeals. They all proposed different ways of working with us - and all but one were prohibitively expensive. We chose to work with Midas Consulting and took advantage of reduced-cost courses, combined with a mentoring approach, to expand our existing fund-raising expertise into the field of Big Gift Fund-raising.

Patrons have been recruited from wealthy or strategic positions in an effort to open doors to the Trustees of Foundations and Trusts that aim to help capital appeals. At Christmas 2003 the first big gift of £100,000 was pledged from the Linbury Trust. In November 2004 The Bradbury Trust pledged £250,000. Recent pledges by  private individuals brought the total raised by September 2005 to £934,000. Construction of Phase 1 of our new Centre started in July 2005 and the building was completed and handed over to us in March 2006. Occupation of Phase 1 was achieved in April 2006 on schedule!