Two Maggie’s for Glasgow

In a flurry of pink tulle, Nina Barough CBE, Laura Lee and Kirsty Wark unveil the new Garnavel Maggie's Centre

At the start of breast cancer awareness month it was appropriate that a new Maggie’s centre opened in Glasgow at Gartnavel Hospital. The city is the first place to have two Maggie’s Centres where people with cancer and their families can go for quietness, nurturing and care. The original Maggie’s on Dumbarton Road at the Western Infirmary gatehouse, will continue its important, supportive work.

Funded by Walk the Walk which runs the Edinburgh Moonwalks in Edinburgh, Iceland and London, the Gartnavel Maggie’s was designed by Dutch architects and Pritzker Prize winners, OMA and landscaped by Lily Jencks, daughter of Maggie’s founders. It was built by Dunne Group.

High on a hill, the single-level building forms a ring of interlocking rooms surrounding an internal landscaped courtyard. The new Maggie’s overlooks Glasgow and Gartnavel Hospital and is a stone’s throw from Scotland’s leading oncology facility, the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, which serves a population of 2.8 million people (60 per cent of Scotland’s population). People at any stage of their cancer journey will be able to access the professional and peer-led support available at Maggie’s to help them to build a life with, through and beyond cancer.

The space has been designed to feel casual, almost carefree, allowing an individual to feel at ease and at home and part of an empathetic community of people.

Laura Lee, Maggie’s Chief Executive, said: ‘This is a celebration of a fantastic new resource for the west of Scotland’s cancer population, as well as a celebration of this pivotal year in Maggie’s history. It’s hard to believe that it was fifteen years ago when we opened our very first centre in Edinburgh – delivering Maggie Keswick Jencks’ vision of providing an antidote to the isolation and despair of cancer. It soon became apparent that other regions and communities greatly needed a Maggie’s Centre too, and through wonderful support, we have managed to grow our network of centres and today take great pride in our newest centre – Maggie’s Gartnavel. OMA have created a truly unique environment, which will help to facilitate our programme of support, by making people feel safe, inspired and valued, whilst Lily Jencks garden design complements the centre beautifully. Most importantly, Maggie’s Gartnavel has been made possible through a unique partnership with Walk the Walk, whose tenacious Edinburgh MoonWalkers, take to the streets of Edinburgh each year in wonderfully decorate bras to raise money to support cancer charities. Thank you to Walk the Walk and to everyone who has graciously support us over the years – you are helping to make a huge difference.’

The Lighthouse architectural showcase in Glasgow’s city centre, currently has an exhibition on OMA and Maggie’s.

This being the 15th year of Maggie’s Centres, the cancer charity aims to have 15 centres up an running or on the drawing board, by the end of 2011.