Funding of Overdale Day Care Centre by William Knott (FOI)

Produced by the Freedom of Information office
Authored by Government of Jersey on behalf of the States Greffe and published on 16 November 2021.
Prepared internally, no external costs.

Request

Please provide all the terms and conditions concerning the William Knott gift to the Island of Jersey in relation to the buildings at Overdale Hospital in St Helier.

Response

Neither the States Greffe nor the Department of Infrastructure, Housing and Environment has found any evidence that terms or conditions were applied to the gift by William and Jacqueline Knott for the construction of hospital buildings at Overdale.

The records indicate the following:

On 5 August 1981, the Public Health Committee of the day met Mr and Mrs Knott, who offered to fund the construction of a day-care centre and day hospital at Overdale on land already owned by the States. Prior to this offer, the developments had been due to be funded by the States. At this time, Mr Knott expressed a preference for the design to be undertaken by a specific architect.

Construction commenced in September 1982 and, upon completion of the project, Mr Knott laid the foundation stone. The keys were handed over in June 1984 and the development was opened to patients in July 1984. The formal opening ceremony took place in December 1984. Mr Knott requested that the opening be performed by surgeon Sir Hugh Lockhart-Mummery KCVO. Unfortunately, he could not attend due to fog; therefore, the ceremony was performed by the then Bailiff, Frank Ereaut.

This response has been issued on behalf of the States Greffe. The States Greffe is responsible for the information held by (and on behalf of) both itself and the States Assembly.  Neither the States Assembly nor the States Greffe form part of the Government of Jersey and the Government was not involved either in the examination and retrieval of any information required for this response, nor in the drafting of the response itself.​​