Lanarkshire Maggie's Centre opens doors

Apr 3 2008 By Judith Tonner

The new Lanarkshire Maggie’s Centre opened its doors today (Thursday) to provide support for the county’s cancer patients.

Among those attending the opening ceremony at Wishaw General Hospital was Olympic athletics medallist Yvonne Murray, whose family have used the charity’s centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Readers of the Hamilton Advertiser and its sister titles helped to raise the £1.4m needed to open the charity’s sixth Scottish centre by taking part in a wide variety of fundraising ventures including charity balls and sponsored walks.

The Wishaw centre, in a specially converted former doctor’s residence, is an interim facility which will be open until the completion of a purpose-built centre at Monklands Hospital, as NHS Lanarkshire is relocating cancer treatment there from the current centre at Wishaw.

Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres provide free emotional and practical support to patients and their families and friends, including group or individual therapy, advice on issues ranging from nutrition to claiming benefits, and the chance to relax in a comforting space.

Maggie’s Lanarkshire’s Centre head Lorrie Forsyth said: “We are delighted that we are now able to provide cancer support for people across Lanarkshire.

“People from across the county fundraised very hard to make this a reality, and the facility is an uplifting and warm environment that is unlike the clinical hospital waiting rooms. 

“This interim facility will make a huge difference to people across the region affected by cancer by helping to equip them with the tools to build a life beyond the disease.”