A Message from the Special Events Committee Co-Chairs

It is with great pride and heartfelt enthusiasm that we invite you to be part of the 2026 Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Foundation Gala Dinner – an evening that marks the beginning of an important new legacy in support of children’s health.

This Gala Dinner is a rare opportunity to be part of a landmark event where creativity, generosity, and purpose come together.
Set within an atmosphere of inspiration and imagination, the evening will celebrate what is possible when vision, compassion, and community unite in service of a shared cause.

We are deeply honoured to serve as Co-Chairs of the Special Events Committee and, with your partnership, look forward to establishing an enduring legacy – one that brings emerging medical innovations, transformative technologies, and the discoveries of tomorrow to life at RCH. It will also be a pivotal moment in enabling the next generation of advanced therapies for children with the most complex and rare medical needs.

By joining us, you will help advance clinical excellence, drive groundbreaking research, fund life-saving equipment, champion Australian-first programs, and nurture the next generation of medical leaders. You will also be joining a community of philanthropic leaders and corporate changemakers who are shaping the future of children’s health, today and for generations to come.

Together, we can help create a world where children’s futures are limited only by imagination – not illness. 

With sincere thanks,

Robyn Beddison OAM and Peter Yates AM
Co-Chairs, Special Events Committee

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Special Events Committee Members

Peter Jones, Associate Professor Andrew Kornberg, Jacqui Liberman, Alexandra Lowen and Tiffany Lucas

Your support of the Gala Dinner will help make life-changing advanced therapies available to more children and young people.

Breakthrough advanced therapies are redefining what is possible for children living with rare, complex, and life-threatening conditions. Once considered untreatable, many of these conditions can now be targeted at their source – enabling children to reach milestones once thought impossible, reducing hospitalisations, and in some cases, offering a cure.

Advanced therapies – including gene therapy, cell therapy, and tissue therapy – are transforming treatment for conditions such as cancer, neurological and immune disorders, congenital heart disease, kidney failure, and progressive eye disease. This
rapidly evolving model of care represents one of the most significant advances in paediatric medicine in generations.

Sadly, rare diseases are not as rare as many assume.

Behind each statistic is a child, a family, and an urgent need for access to life-saving and world-leading care in Australia.

Building a home for advanced therapies at The Royal Children’s Hospital

The RCH has already demonstrated leadership in delivering advanced therapies, particularly gene therapies. However, expanding access to this world-leading care requires more than individual treatments.

As more conditions become treatable through these groundbreaking approaches, philanthropic partnership and support is critical to ensuring children with the rarest and most complex needs can access the very best care – today and into the future.

To meet growing demand, the RCH must establish a dedicated home for advanced therapies – with purpose-built beds, specialist multidisciplinary teams, and the infrastructure required to safely deliver complex treatments. This environment will support ongoing research, discovery, and innovation, ensuring that future breakthroughs are developed and delivered right here in Australia.

Together, we can transform the future of children’s health at The Royal Children’s Hospital.

Your support will play a pivotal role in ensuring the RCH remains one of the world’s leading paediatric hospitals and at the forefront of medical innovation, discovery and care.

By bringing the next generation of advanced therapies and innovative care to life, you will expand access to life-saving treatments and deliver transformational outcomes for children and young people in Victoria and beyond.

This is a unique opportunity to enable today’s breakthroughs while helping build the foundations for the discoveries of tomorrow.

There are several ways you can show your support, including purchasing a table and sponsorship packages, for an event that will be a defining moment for paediatirc healthcare.

To enquire about purchasing a table (10 people) or sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

Every act of generosity and support has the power to change a life.

Your support will help bring life-saving advanced therapies within reach for children and young people facing rare and complex conditions. These are the stories of just some of the patients whose lives have been transformed through this care – and what is possible when innovation, expertise, and generosity come together.