Crosbie plans charity concert spectacular

Entrepreneur Harry Crosbie has issued a Christmas appeal for major Irish singers and performers to get behind a “spectacular” concert he is proposing to raise cash for the national children’s hospital.

The concert, to be modelled on that laid on for Queen Elizabeth II, is designed to launch the worldwide fundraising campaign for the new national children’s hospital.

While the concert won't be held until the first half of 2012 Mr Crosbie told The Irish Times he was launching a Christmas appeal for big-name participants "because this is the time these people are at home and this is the time their budgets and plans for next year are being made".

Mr Crosbie said he had also secured support from the chairwoman of the Ireland funds Loretta Brennan Glucksman for a ‘roadshow’ to take place in the United States. The fundraisers are hoping to raise some €75million to fit out the hospital and are looking at selling naming rights so hospital wards may be named after individuals’ loved ones.

Commenting on the timescale for his plans Mr Crosbie said the initial grant of planning permission could be made as early as January, after which plans for a concert “similar to that which we put on for the Queen only bigger” would get away in earnest.

But he said he was already promoting the concert among singers and performers as “loads of them are home in Ireland now for the Christmas and want to get to them and say ‘remember the national children’s hospital’ we will be coming knocking at some time in the New Year. Please make space for us”.

The venue for the concert is to be the 02 arena or the Grand Canal Theatre – Or maybe even both” said Mr Crosbie who added that those who performed before Queen Elizabeth gave their time for free. He said the forthcoming fundraising campaign would be “very, very high profile”.

However he said he would also be approaching the boards of existing children’s hospitals at Temple Street, Crumlin and Tallaght “because of their unequalled experience of successful fundraising”.

The Government has earmarked some €450million for the project with the remainder expected to come from philanthropy. According to Mr Crosbie the imperative is to “get out in the market as soon as possible and take advantage of the good value, recession prices that are out there now”. He said the group will be seeking a “fixed price and insured contract” to ensure there would be no cost overruns.