State-of-the-art Maggie’s cancer centre opens in Oldham

THOUSANDS OF cancer sufferers, their family and friends are to benefit from the opening of a new Maggie’s Centre in Oldham.

The state-of-the-art facility in the grounds of the Royal Oldham Hospital will support around 10,000 visits every year once the building is fully operational.

Maggie’s Oldham is the 21st such retreat opened since the first one in Edinburgh in 1996, and they are named after founder Maggie Keswick Jencks who died from cancer in 1995.

The Centre in Oldham has been made possible by Sir Norman Stoller, the principal donor and founder of the Stoller Charitable Trust.

Sir Norman was among the VIP guests when Maggie’s officially opened its doors on Whit Friday, June 9.

Sir Norman Stoller, Councillor Shadab Qumer (Mayor of Oldham), Sobia Arshi (Mayoress of Oldham), Laura Lee (CEO of Maggie’s), Lucy Steed-Fassett (girlfriend of Alex de Rijke), Charles Jencks, Alex de Rijke (Architect)

The Centre, intended to feel more like a home than a hospital, offers psychological support, advice, nutrition workshops, relaxation and stress management, art therapy and yoga.

Individual and group support will be delivered by qualified professionals in a space that enables them to meet other people who understand what it means to live with cancer too.

Laura Lee, Maggie’s Chief Executive, said: “My sincere thanks go to everyone who has supported Maggie’s and made our Centre at the Royal Oldham a reality.

“Special thanks go to Sir Norman whose generous donation enabled us to fund the building of the Centre in full and whose passion for Oldham has been the driving force behind the Centre.

“Thanks to Sir Norman, Maggie’s can now offer the local community the very best support to cope with the challenges that living with and beyond cancer can bring.”

Sir Norman added: “As I personally have had cancer, I recognise the real need for cancer support and it is pleasing to know that Oldhamers will now benefit from this Centre as well.

“We are absolutely delighted to have helped to bring this Centre to Oldham where I started my business and spent my working life.”

Sir David Dalton, Chief Executive at the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The building is not only architecturally stunning in design, it is also a wonderful new haven for the people of Oldham and their families who are affected by cancer.”

Architect Alex de Rijke of dRMM Architects also attended the launch to see the completion of his project.

To find out more about Maggie’s Oldham, visit their website: www.maggiescentres.org/oldham