Southampton home for new Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre

At a reception hosted by Butterfield Bank and Cazenove Capital, more than 50 guests watched a presentation by the centres’ director of fundraising and development, Sharon O’Loan, and lead consultant in palliative medicine at University Hospital Southampton, Dr Carol Davis.

The Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Trust, or Maggie’s as it’s widely known, provides free support to people with cancer and their family and friends.

It was founded by and named after the late writer, artist and garden designer Maggie Keswick Jencks, who lived with advanced cancer for two years. With the help of her husband and medical team she designed the blueprint for the first Maggie’s Centre.

She died in 1995 and the first centre opened in Edinburgh a year later.

There are now 22 Maggie’s Centres in the UK (as well as in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Barcelona). Built in the grounds of NHS cancer hospitals, the centres are places with professional staff on hand to offer the support people need.

‘All Maggie’s are on the grounds of acute hospitals, but away from the busy-ness,’ explained Mrs O’Loan.

‘They are tailored to an individual’s needs, they are for all types of cancer, they are free – no referrals – and they work hand in glove with the NHS and cancer charities. They offer practical support, emotional support and social support.’

Last year in the south of England and the Channel Islands, 22,500 people received a new cancer diagnosis.

In the Bailiwick of Guernsey alone, an average of 691 residents receive cancer treatment or follow-up care in the island each year.

‘We are very excited about Maggie’s in Southampton,’ said Dr Davis.

‘I’ve been coming to Guernsey for many years, and now Jersey and the Isle of Wight, so I’ve learned a lot about living on an island and how you can feel like a fish out of water coming off-island for treatment.

‘Guernsey people come over and usually stay at Jurys Inn, go to the hospital in a Daisy bus, have their treatment and then there’s not a lot else to do. Many are very, very tired after their treatment. Now they’ll be able to go and visit the Maggie’s Centre.’

Acclaimed architect Amanda Levete has designed an innovative and flexible centre which reclaims green space and gardener Sarah Price has taken inspiration from the New Forest. Both designers have created a natural and tranquil environment for patients and visitors.

Maggie’s relies on voluntary donations from individuals, companies, trusts and foundations to support and grow its network of centres and to develop its programme of support. Maggie’s Southampton will cost nearly £5m. to build. £3m. has already been secured but another £1.9m. is needed, £0.5m. of it by the end of November. Construction will begin in December with completion set at the end of 2019.

Peter Walsh, Maggie’s Guernsey coordinator, said the evening had gone well.

‘We’ve had some super feedback about the presentation and everyone has been positive and supportive.

‘We have achieved what we set out to with the evening, and that was to raise awareness about Maggie’s Southampton.’

n To find out more about Maggie’s Southampton, visit https://bit.ly/2Px8RLi.

n Enquiries should be directed to Sharon O’Loan, email Sharon.oloan@maggiescentres.org or call 07585 001585.