Works start on new Puttinu London building close to Great Ormond Street Hospital
When completed in March 2028 it will have 29 apartments for Maltese patients
Works on Puttinu Cares Foundation’s new accommodation block in Central London have commenced after a permit was obtained to add an extra floor.
The building, which is 10 minutes’ walk from Russell Square and close to Great Ormond Street Hospital, will have a total of 29 studio apartments when it is completed in March 2028.
In a video message filmed from the building as refurbishment and construction works got underway, foundation CEO Rennie Zerafa explained how the new accommodation facility was found following a seven year search with the help of a “kindhearted” lawyer from one of London’s top law firms after some irregularities were unearthed during talks for the acquisition of another building.
Zerafa explained that the lawyer took pity on them after hearing how the irregularities prevented them from buying the original building.
“He promised to help us find another suitable building and he found us this one,” Zerafa said.
“We call such things miracles. Someone is truly looking after us from above and helping us.”
The foundation said it worked "tirelessly" for one year to obtain a permit to construct an additional floor so as to maximise the potential of the space.
The block which Puttinu Cares Foundation had originally planned to buy was 25 minutes’ drive away from central London but this new building is only minutes’ walk away from one of the hospitals which is most used by Maltese patients.
“It is not easy to find such buildings the closer you get to London,” Zerafa added.
This will be the third accommodation building for the Foundation which will bring the total number of apartments to 49. The other two blocks are closer to the Royal Marsden Hospital.
Every month, between 60 and 90 patients travel to London for specialised medical treatment, and are accommodated for free in one of the foundation’s apartments. Patients often travel several times for treatment or stay for a number of weeks.
“Most of the time our flats are full,” Zerafa said. “We see a lot of pain but also a lot of love.”
The new block was bought for £8.9 million (just over €10.2million) during the Covid pandemic but it was recently valued at £18 million (€20.7 million).
Puttinu Cares Foundation president Angele Cuschieri urged for further donations to help complete the building “as soon as possible”.
“Thank you for offering hope and peace of mind to patients so they can have a home away from home during their treatment,” Cuschieri said.
The Foundation will be hosting a telethon across all television stations on Good Friday April 3 from 9am to 3pm and 9pm to midnight. The night before, it will hold the 21st edition of the Good Friday night walk starting at midnight from Mellieħa parish square to the Granaries in Floriana.