Get around your kitchen table for Oldham charity

Cancer charity Maggie’s Oldham is encouraging friends, families and colleagues to create events around their kitchen table – be it at work or home – on 29 March.

They’re suggesting events like dinner parties, games nights, coffee mornings and bake sales.

Maggie’s Kitchen Table Day 2019 aims to raise money for people with cancer.

Maggie’s Oldham follows the ideas about cancer care originally laid out by Maggie Keswick Jencks.

She lived with advanced cancer for two years and was determined that she should not “lose the joy of living in the fear of dying”.

In order to live more positively with cancer, Maggie believed people needed information, stress-reducing strategies, psychological support and the opportunity to meet other people in similar circumstances in a relaxed and beautiful setting.

All Maggie’s Centres are individually designed by leading architects to feel like a home and all have a big kitchen table at their heart. 

New visitors to Maggie’s Oldham often head first for the kitchen table.

For all Centre visitors, Maggie’s kitchen table is a place where they can talk to people who really understand what it means to be living with cancer.

Maggie’s Centre Visitor Andrea Hawker, who held her own event last year, said: “Maggie's is a fantastic place - everyone here has been touched by cancer in some way and they are all so welcoming and friendly. 

“Maggie's not only provided me with support and advice during my diagnosis and treatment, but it was somewhere to relax before appointments, pop in for a chat or to join in activities.

“I decided to hold a cake and prosecco day as I knew this would appeal to most of my family and friends.

“I did this to raise money so this amazing charity can continue with the work they do.”

Trish Morgan, Centre Head at Maggie’s Oldham, said: “I’m looking forward to seeing what events people can come up with.

“For me nothing symbolises Maggie’s more than the kitchen table and we recognise the importance of this at the centre.

“Maggie’s Oldham relies entirely on voluntary donations to allow us to keep on developing our unique programme of free support for all those living with cancer in the area.”