The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is celebrating 50 years of residency at its Sussex Place quarters in Regent’s Park.
The new building was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 13 July 1960. Costing around £400,000, the building was designed by architect Louis de Soissons, and built by J Gerrard and Sons Ltd. Funds for the new building were raised through major appeals among Fellows and Members of the College and through generous donations from Viscount Nuffield, the Nuffield Hospitals Trust and the Wellcome Trust.
The RCOG, founded in 1929, was initially housed in an office in Manchester before moving to a house in Queen Anne Street, close to the more traditional location for medical institutions around Harley Street. It soon outgrew its premises in Queen Anne Street, and needed more space to accommodate staff and extra facilities for its increasing membership. The RCOG was one of the first Royal Colleges to move away from the Harley Street area.
Now employing 110 staff, the College has grown from being a traditional membership association to a modern professional body and charity. It is presently involved in a range of activities such as: developing and maintaining the postgraduate medical curriculum and e-learning and the running of the International Office, formed in 2006 to help improve maternal and neonatal care in under-resourced countries.
Since moving to Sussex Place, changes to the building have continued over the years. In September 2001, Princess Anne opened the Education Centre, providing state-of–the-art conferencing facilities. The building also houses its partner charity, Wellbeing of Women; and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.
To mark the 50th Anniversary, the RCOG is holding a display of historical literature and an exhibition of posters in its Education Centre.
Ms Penny Bonning, RCOG Archivist, said “The College is proud of its 80 year history of improving standards in women’s healthcare. The generosity of its Fellows and Members in helping to achieve this dramatic move to the new premises in Regent’s Park 50 years ago is well documented in the records held in the College Archive. Much work has been undertaken over the last year in highlighting the rich source of heritage collections held by the College to staff and researchers, and today a small exhibition will go on display in the College library celebrating the opening of the building.”
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For more information on this press release please contact Caroline Partis on 020 7772 6305 or email cpartis@rcog.org.uk .
Notes
RCOG Library, 27 Sussex Place, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RG
Opening times: Monday – Friday; 9am – 5pm
