Breaking new ground

CONSTRUCTION starts . . . Laura Lee (chief executive of Maggie's) and Sir Norman Stoller with dignitaries behind

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WITH hard hats on and a shovel in hand, dignitaries and supporters gathered to celebrate the start of construction on a vital new Maggie's cancer support centre in Oldham yesterday.

Built within the grounds of the Royal Oldham Hospital, the centre will help charity Maggie's provide free practical, emotional and social support for people with cancer and their family and friends.

The innovatively-designed building will be known as "Maggie's Oldham, the Sir Norman Stoller Centre" in honour of Oldham-born Sir Norman and The Stoller Charitable Trust which donated £3million to fully fund the centre with Sir Norman also given the chance to break ground on site.

To mark the start of construction, Sir Norman was joined by Laura Lee, Maggie's chief executive; Professor Matt Makin, The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust's executive medical director; Jean Stretton, leader of Oldham Council; Dr Carolyn Wilkins, chief executive at Oldham Council; Oldham's Mayor and Mayoress, Councillor Derek Heffernan and Di Heffernan; fellow trustees Roger Gould and Stephen Lowe, from The Stoller Charitable Trust; and Katie Allen, representing the Eric and Margaret Kinder Charitable Trust.

Sir Norman, founder of The Stoller Charitable Trust, said: "There are many things we at The Stoller Charitable Trust are very proud of, but our involvement in Maggie's is a good example of the things that we are most proud of.

"I am humbled to see a Maggie's at the Royal Oldham Hospital becoming a reality.

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

"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."

The centre was developed by Maggie's working in partnership with the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Oldham, to enhance the cancer care and support already on offer in the area.

It is predicted the centre will receive 10,000 visits every year, with visitors given access to Maggie's evidence based programme of support, including psychological support, benefits advice, nutrition workshops, relaxation and stress management, art therapy, tai chi and yoga.

The centre, which is due to open in summer, 2017, is the charity's second in Greater Manchester and follows the opening of Maggie's Manchester, The Robert Parfett Building, at The Christie Hospital in Withington earlier this year.

Laura Lee, Maggie's chief executive said: "I'm delighted that construction of Maggie's Oldham has been able to start in earnest, so soon after the opening of Maggie's Manchester, bringing us one step closer to the Centre opening its doors and offering the people of Greater Manchester a greater level of cancer support to complement the NHS hospitals.

"My sincere thanks go to everyone who has supported Maggie's and made our centre at the Royal Oldham a reality.

"The generosity of The Stoller Charitable Trust will allow us to open our doors next year to provide cancer support of the highest quality in Oldham."

Every year 50,000 people in the North-West are diagnosed with cancer and Maggie's is dedicated to providing support for those affected by the disease.

Built in the grounds of NHS hospitals, Maggie's centres are designed to be warm and welcoming places, with qualified professionals on hand to offer a programme of support that has been shown to improve physical and emotional well-being and complement the support already available in the area.

Professor Matt Makin, executive medical director at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, added: "It will be fantastic to have this valuable service here on the Royal Oldham Hospital site.

"We know that our patients will benefit from the practical, emotional and social support that will be provided at Maggie's Oldham, which will be housed in an amazing new building which we are sure will be well-received by patients and their families."

The Oldham centre, which was given planning permission in Decembe,r last year, features a unique design by acclaimed architects dRMM and gardens by Jinny Blom Landscape Design and aims to provide an "oasis of calm" with the design incorporating nature, light and homely atmosphere.

The building itself will hover over a beautiful garden, supported on slender columns, with "open air rooms" and a reflecting pool of rainwater running under the centre.

Maggie's relies on voluntary donations to support and grow its network of centres and to develop its unique, high quality programme of support. The charity's aim is to make the biggest difference possible to people living with cancer and their family and friends.

Every Maggie's centre follows the ideas about cancer care originally laid out by Maggie Keswick Jencks, who lived with advanced cancer for two years and was determined that people with cancer should not "lose the joy of living in the fear of dying".

Maggie believed people needed information, stress-reducing strategies, psychological support and the opportunity to meet other people in similar circumstances in a relaxed and domestic atmosphere.

She created a blueprint for her vision in the grounds of the Western General Hospital, where she was being treated, before she died in 1995, with her idea eventually becoming a reality in November, 1996.

The charity grew from there and 19 centres are now open across the UK and abroad with several more under development or at the planning stage.

To find out more about Maggie's Oldham, the programme of support the centre will offer or to get involved with fundraising visit www.maggiescentres.org/oldham.