Pears Foundation donates £5M for new Institute of Health and Wellbeing building

Published: 14 March 2018

IHW's new building, to be located on the site of the former Western Infirmary, will be named after Clarice Pears, who was born and raised in Glasgow

Pears Foundation has donated £5 million to the University of Glasgow for the construction of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing's new building, which will be located on the site of the former Western Infirmary and named after Clarice Pears, who was born and raised in Glasgow.

Artist's impression of Clarice Pears BuildingThe Clarice Pears Building will help researchers tackle health inequalities by enhancing research collaborations across IHW and its partners, and supporting engagement at a local, national and global level.

Sir Trevor Pears, son of Clarice Pears and one of the founders of the Pears Foundation, said:

It is a privilege to name this fantastic building after our mother, who was immensely proud of her Scottish roots. There is a lot of resonance between the work of the University of Glasgow's Institute of Health and Wellbeing and our philanthropic goals; the research done there is very much applied and practical and we hope it goes from strength to strength.

Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, commented:

We are extremely grateful for the generous donation from Pears Foundation which will revolutionise the study of health and wellbeing at the University of Glasgow, helping to build collaborations and inspire world changing research. The Institute’s work has already having a major impact on public health policy in Glasgow, Scotland, and internationally, and this new facility will mean we can do more.

IHW Director Professor Jill Pell said:

The generous support of Pears Foundation will help us achieve our vision to improve health and reduce health inequalities. The Clarice Pears Building will be transformative in how we support and promote collaboration both internally and with external partners. It will mean we can bring our staff together under one roof and make the University a more effective and attractive place to undertake world-leading research and teaching.

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First published: 14 March 2018