Hotel to help child centre raise funds

Dubai: The Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre has entered a joint commercial venture to raise funds.

Bin Madi Real Estate Agents will be constructing hotel apartments on land donated to the centre by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in Al Barsha, near Mall of the Emirates, Dubai.

The centre, under the patronage of Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and CEO of the Emirates Group, will receive half the hotel's income to pay for staffing and special needs equipment.

Mariam Othman, Director of the centre, said the joint venture will cover around one-third of the centre's running costs for the next two years.

Construction is expected to start in six months.

Janette Graham, head teacher, said: "We have a high adult-pupil ratio, with 6 or 8 children in a class and a maximum of 11."

The centre has 140 pupils with 80 out-patients attending for physiotherapy, speech-therapy and occupational therapy. There are 90 staff members.