The Charity plays a vital role in helping Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust achieve its strategic objectives, by funding pioneering work to improve the lives of women, babies, children and families – regionally, nationally and internationally.

The Trust is the first of its kind in the UK, expertly delivering family-centred care through Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Birmingham Women’s Hospital.

From championing state-of-the-art equipment and ground-breaking research to creating the very best patient environments, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital Charity continually strives to be at the forefront of what is possible in order to make a real difference to all who use the hospitals’ services.

In his new role, Mark will be responsible for leading the transformational development and delivery of the charity’s long-term strategy, increasing its base of loyal supporters to significantly grow its charitable income. This ambition and vision is intrinsically linked to the Trust’s aspirations for future major capital projects, which aim to deliver new buildings that match the world-class care provided.

Mark started his career in banking where he spent just under thirty years working across a number of disciplines, including wealth management and private banking for a major global banking group. His time in banking included spells in the UK, Jersey, Singapore and Hong Kong.

After setting up his own consultancy service, which provided personalised and bespoke advice to high-net worth individuals, Mark decided to explore his passion for charity, offering his services to Children with Cancer UK, which specialises in funding vital life-saving research. Soon after, Mark was appointed CEO where he spent 18 months building and shaping the charity’s future.

Now the newly-appointed CEO of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital Charity, Mark Brider said: “The Trust has some of the foremost specialists in their fields providing world-class care, and I’m so excited to be joining such a passionate organisation.

“We need to increase our charitable income in order to fund future projects that enable us to continue our mission of providing the very best care to our patients. I hope to call on my banking experience where I led businesses which provided clients with a first-class service by building trust and loyalty over the long term. I believe fundraising should be treated in the same way; where our donors enjoy a long and rewarding relationship with our charity and hospitals. I can’t wait to get started.”

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, Chairman of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and its Charity, said: “We’re thrilled Mark has joined us as he brings with him a personal passion for charitable work, balanced with the commercial expertise and acumen to drive our ambitious growth strategy forward. I believe he will elevate the support our charity can offer our Trust, so we can continue to push boundaries and improve standards of excellence in research, treatment and care. This in turn will enhance the outstanding care and cutting-edge treatments we offer our patients.”

In recent years, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital Charity has helped the hospital achieve its vision on a number of world-class projects including contributing almost £8m to create Waterfall House, the Trust’s new state-of-the-art clinical building at its Children’s Hospital site. Waterfall House opened its doors in 2018 and is home to the UK’s first Rare Diseases Centre for Children as well as a brand-new Paediatric Cancer Centre.

The charity is currently fundraising for Woodland House, a new standalone bereavement centre at Birmingham Women’s Hospital for families experiencing pregnancy and baby loss. With just £1m to go to break ground, Woodland House, once opened, will set a new national and international standard of care for honouring baby loss.