Up to 15,000 people in the Forth Valley area living with cancer could benefit from a brand new Maggie’s Centre which opened today in Larbert. Breast cancer charity Walk the Walk is the principal funder of Maggie’s Forth Valley, through a £3 million grant from funds raised by its iconic night-time fundraising event, The MoonWalk Scotland.
The new Maggie’s Centre has been built in the grounds of Forth Valley Royal Hospital and is offering free practical, emotional and social support for people with cancer and their family and friends. The facilities were opened by the former First Minister of Scotland and Maggie’s supporter, Lord Jack McConnell, alongside Walk the Walk Founder and Chief Executive Nina Barough CBE and Maggie’s Chief Executive Laura Lee. In a total surprise for Nina, the new Centre was named “Maggie’s Forth Valley at The Nina Barough Building”, in recognition of her and Walk the Walk’s vital contribution.
Maggie’s evidence based programme of support will begin running from the new Centre tomorrow (Thursday 16th March), with today’s events marking the official opening of the completed Centre.
Maggie’s Forth Valley at The Nina Barough Building has been designed by acclaimed architects Garbers & James and was developed by Maggie’s and NHS Forth Valley working in partnership to create cancer support of the highest quality for people in the Forth Valley area. Every year 1,900 people in the region are diagnosed with cancer. As the number of people living with cancer increases, support becomes even more important.
Maggie’s in Forth Valley will give visitors access to a free programme of support, including drop in cancer support, one-to-one psychological sessions, benefits advice, nutrition workshops, relaxation and stress management, art therapy, tai chi and yoga.
The first Maggie’s Centre opened in Edinburgh in 1996 and Maggie’s Forth Valley joins 19 other Centres across the UK and abroad.
The Moonwalk Scotland has raised more than £19.6 million since 2006, with most of the money raised staying in Scotland to help improve the lives of those with cancer now. On Saturday 10th June, thousands of women and men wearing decorated bras will once again walk through the streets of Edinburgh at Midnight, to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Those aged 13 and over wear the charity’s trademark brightly decorated bras – this year’s theme is Jungle Safari, with Walk the Walk expecting some really wild creations.
This is the second Maggie’s Centre for which Walk the Walk has been the principal funder, following Maggie’s Glasgow, which opened in 2011.
Laura Lee, Maggie’s Chief Executive said:
“The opening of Maggie’s Forth Valley at The Nina Barough Building, our 20th centre, is a landmark for Maggie’s and hopefully an important day for people of Forth Valley living with cancer. They now have a beautiful and unique building in a stunning setting where I know they will find the calm they need while going through what is probably one of the hardest experiences of their lives. However, it is also a wonderful moment in the partnership between Maggie’s and Walk the Walk and I would like to issue my personal thanks to Nina Barough, Walk the Walk and walkers of The MoonWalk Scotland, as well as the local Forth Valley community, for helping to make this happen.”
Nina Barough CBE, founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk, the principal funder of the Centre said:
“This is such a magnificent day for Maggie’s, because they’re able to bring their service to Larbert and I think very quickly people here will wonder how they managed without it! It’s also a fabulous day for Walk the Walk, our MoonWalkers and everyone who has contributed. To see their efforts manifested into something tangible is breath-taking. This is also one of my most favourite Maggie’s – the tranquillity, the loch and the building nestled amongst trees with a beautiful outlook. As an organisation, Walk the Walk can now pass the baton on to Maggie’s to help the many thousands of people coming through the doors. It’s not about me, but it was a huge honour and surprise to find out that the centre is named after me and I’m still a bit discombobulated!”
Lord Jack McConnell, First Minister of Scotland 2001-2007 and support of Maggie’s said:
“It fills me with great pride to open the 20th Maggie’s Centre and to do that within the grounds of the Forth Valley Royal Hospital. I know that this vital support centre has been funded thanks to Walk the Walk and the hard work of Scotland’s MoonWalkers, and as a longstanding supporter of Maggie’s, I celebrate their contribution. More people than ever before are living longer with and beyond cancer and the support offered by Maggie’s centres are needed even more now than it was in the past. For the residents of the Forth Valley area, this Maggie’s Centre, with its expert staff and evidence based programme of support will be nothing short of a lifeline on their doorstep.”
The iconic Gleneagles Hotel, which supports a number of local charities and fundraising initiatives, is donating a special Afternoon Tea for all those attending the launch event.
Bernard Murphy, Gleneagles’ Managing Director, said:
“Gleneagles is proud to be associated with Maggie’s Forth Valley – which will be a vital asset in the region to support those whose lives are affected by cancer. Providing Afternoon Tea for today’s event allows us to do our small part to support the remarkable work carried out by Maggie’s and Walk the Walk, and is a fitting way to celebrate such an important development for the region.”
To find out more about Maggie’s Forth Valley, go to www.maggiescentres.org/our-centres/maggies-forth-valley/ .
To find out more about Walk the Walk and The MoonWalk Scotland, go to www.walkthewalk.org .
More detailed information about Maggie’s Forth Valley, along with further quotes from key individuals is included in the Media Information Pack.