Philanthropist Steve Morgan today spoke of his “overwhelming pride” as he formally opened the brand-new purpose-built Maggie’s Wirral at the Steve Morgan Foundation Building in the grounds of Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Wirral.
The centre was completely commissioned, designed, built and funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation to replace the previous interim centre which opened in 2014, and has given the charity more space, allowing its team of professional staff to deliver more of their core programme, courses and support groups.
Today’s formal opening comes three months after Maggie’s moved its programme of support to the new centre. Since then the average number of visits to the centre has more than doubled.
Maggie’s has 25 years’ experience of supporting people with free cancer support and information in centres across the UK. The charity puts people with cancer at the heart of everything they do and believes that everyone should have access to professional psychological and emotional support to help change the way they live with cancer.
Whilst Maggie’s knows that there is a lot of value in digital support, they also know that face-to-face support is incredibly important. The new centre is open to see people alongside its digital support. Support by professional staff is available face-to-face in the centre or by phone, email or online to help people with stress, fear and anxiety as well as money worries and questions about treatment.
In the new centre, the library and private rooms are used as individual, one-to-one and family support space away from the openness of the centre which has opened the doors to more people who are not ready for group support. The centre has large windows filling the centre with light and offering panoramic views over country fields allowing visitors to find peace amongst nature and countryside whilst embracing the indoor warmth so intrinsic to Maggie’s.
Inside the centre is focused around an open plan kitchen with space for a kitchen table, whilst outside a large garden gives staff and visitors alike a beautiful landscaped space creating a comforting, home from home where visitors feel safe and uplifted.
birkenhead.news spoke to Steve Morgan whose foundation funded the construction of the new centre. He said, “Maggie’s provide support to people with cancer in their hour of need. A diagnosis of cancer is earth-shattering and most people don’t know where to turn. Maggie’s do a wonderful job. They operated out of a portacabin for many years and it’s been a pleasure and a privilege to build this wonderful facility.
“Already, 3000 people have used the new centre. We’re very proud of our partnership with Maggie’s and we’re looking forward to building the next one at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.”
Kathy Wright, Head of Maggie’s Wirral told birkenhead.news, “This is the grand opening of the new, purpose-built Maggie’s Centre. We’ve been in Wirral for seven years, and this is a huge celebration to thank the Steve Morgan Foundation who donated the money to build the new centre.
“This will allow us to support more people who have been impacted by cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic made it harder for people to get support and this new space will allow us to support more people individually, as groups, and their family and friends.”
Main image: Steve Morgan, of the Steve Morgan Foundation and Kathy Wright, Head of Maggie’s Wirral.
All images credit: www.fotopiaimages.com
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