History of Maggie's Centres
1993
May
Maggie Keswick Jencks, the co-founder of Maggie’s, is told that her breast cancer has recurred and spread to her bones, liver and brain. When asked, her Dumfries oncologist gives her two to three months to live. Through her husband Charles Jencks’ contacts in Boston she finds out about the advanced chemotherapy work going on in Edinburgh. Maggie is referred to Doctor, now Professor, Bob Leonard by Ian Kunkler. By the end of June Maggie and Charles visit the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh; while there they have great trouble finding the room where they will hear about possible radical treatments. As Bob Leonard points out, this distressing experience had an effect, “They first came to see me on an afternoon when we were relocated from our usual clinic to a temporary and rather miserable room at the end of a long and difficult-to-find corridor. This only emphasised the shortcomings of the environment in which patients have to discuss difficult and sometimes life-threatening problems with medical staff. Added to this, later, was the rather bleak clinical space in which our first consultations took place. Having to digest the information about treatment and prognosis was inherently hard but made substantially worse by having nowhere for Maggie to go and collect her thoughts…”
1994
August
Early ideas for a Cancer Caring Centre (called “A New Breast Cancer Care Unit”) are written up with Laura Lee, Maggie’s Oncology Nurse. Maggie starts to develop her relationship with the hospital and a working party of Bob Leonard, Laura Lee, Morag Air, Mike Dixon and Judith McGaskill is formed. Throughout 1994, Maggie and Laura visit a number of UK-based cancer organisations, including, among others, Mount Vernon and the Lynda Jackson Centre. They attend a conference at Hammersmith Hospital, where Maggie is inspired by a woman who speaks about her determination to ‘die as well as possible’.The search for a site near the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh reveals an old stable block that could be converted. Maggie meets with the Chief Executive of the hospital, John Connaghan, and persuades him to allow a Cancer Caring Centre to be developed on this site. Five architects are considered for the project and, after initial discussions, Richard Murphy is selected.
1995
April/May
Maggie further refines the idea of a Cancer Caring Centre and asks Sir David Landale to oversee setting it up, as Chairman of a new charity. In the last month of her life she raises £70,000 from the Holywood Trust, and continues talks with Laura Lee, Charles Jencks and Marcia Blakenham about the centre.
8 July
Maggie succumbs to the disease.
August
David Landale initiates discussions with John Connaghan, Chief Executive of the Western General Hospital and asks him to sit on the Board of Trustees. David Landale is himself a Director from February 1996 until March 2007, and serves as Chairman from September 2003 to May 2005.
Over the next 10 months the charity is formally founded as The Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Trust. Following Maggie’s wishes, the Jencks Family pledges £100,000 per year for ten years; this guarantees Maggie’s Edinburgh.
The family continues to give £90,000 per year (through the Holywood Trust, Garden Openings, and three donations). Right from the start public fundraising is an intrinsic part of Maggie’s. The community fundraiser quickly becomes a vital part of the Maggie’s team and enough income is raised to pay for the operating costs of Maggie’s Edinburgh. Community fundraising becomes an essential part of the mix because of its ability to inspire support from those closest to the centre, their families and friends, and the local community.
1996
February
Marcia Blakenham, involved with the charity from its earliest days, is appointed a Director in February 1996 (and later the Vice-Chairman in May 2005). Her creative input remains crucial to Maggie’s design work, from its publications to centre interiors.
November
After Laura Lee has set up a team and organised the necessary functions, the first Maggie’s Centre, designed by Richard Murphy, at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh opens, a converted grey-stone stable block previously used as a store. Within a year or two it becomes apparent that the great need and the success of the centre mean that an extension is necessary. This one, also designed by Murphy, opens on September 5 2001. During this early period Laura runs the social and health programme of support while Edel Toal does the fundraising.
Richard Murphy later wins the Best Conservation Award in Edinburgh and a RIBA award for his design of the Maggie's Centre.
The artist Eduardo Paolozzi, an old friend of Maggie and Charles, visits the centre and donates an art collection to the charity. His graphic work is now shown in all the centres.
1997
January
Derek Douglas is appointed Chairman of Maggie's Board of Directors.
June
Maggie’s pamphlet, A View from the Front Line, is edited by Marcia Blakenham and the first of several editions is published. This booklet becomes essential in defining the philosophy and approach of the centres.
1998
It becomes apparent that Maggie’s Centres is offering a type of support that is widely needed, and the Board meets to consider expanding. In an ideal world this would mean having a Maggie’s Centre at every major UK hospital.
February
Caroline Courtauld, a good friend of Maggie and Charles, is appointed as a Director. Having helped Maggie set up the Bradbury Hospice, she goes on to work with Clara Weatherall to establish Maggie’s Hong Kong, a building to be designed by Frank Gehry. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth visits Maggie’s Edinburgh.
1999
May
Sir John Soane’s Museum in London hosts An Exhibition of Frank Gehry's Work to which donors and friends of Maggie’s are invited. Later that year, Maggie's holds an event at the Eduardo Paolozzi Exhibition at the Dean Gallery, Edinburgh, to encourage new supporters, particularly business supporters.
2000
Maggie’s forms relationships with trusts and major supporters who want to give and, where appropriate, applies for statutory and lottery funding.
In Scotland, Maggie’s is awarded Heritage Lottery Funding for the Glasgow centre’s Gatehouse Lodge renovation. Similarly, partnership funding from New Opportunities fund gives Maggie’s 50% of the capital income needed for centres in Fife and Lanarkshire. In the Highlands the organisation receives equivalent support from the Highlands and Islands Enterprise fund. Maggie’s Dundee benefits from the generosity of a local resident who gives significant support to the service for its first three years. In London and the Highlands, Maggie’s also recruits the generous support of other individual major donors.
April
Andrew Anderson joins Maggie’s and takes on the important role of running Maggie’s Edinburgh. This allows Laura to move into her current role of Chief Executive, overseeing the development of Maggie’s programme of support and the expansion of our centres.
5 September
Kirsty Wark, Maggie’s Patron and BBC presenter, opens the extension of Maggie's Edinburgh. The surrounding gardens are landscaped by Emma Keswick, a relative of Maggie's.
Ali Afshar, who goes on to chair the property committee and steers Maggie’s through the procurement and production of previous centres, is appointed a Director.
December
The philosophy and core elements of Maggie's programme of support are first published in ‘Maggie’s Principles and Practice’, written by Laura Lee and Glyn Jarvis.
2001
April
The Sahara Desert Hike raises £200,000 for Maggie's.
August
The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland congratulates Maggie's on its excellent standard of support. This public recognition for Maggie’s programme of support is crucial both for fundraising and for sustaining credibility among the medical profession.
2002
August
Charles Jencks donates a specially designed sculpture 'DNA' for the opening of the Maggie's Glasgow Centre.
October
The second Maggie's Centre is opened at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow. David Page from architects Page and Park, converted the red brick gatehouse at the Beatson Oncology Centre at the Western Infirmary to create the centre. Forming part of the Kelvingrove complex, the conversion maintains the original façade and as much of the interior as possible, creating a welcoming and contemporary house that adapts to the needs of people who visit it. Most rooms look out onto the gardens, landscaped by Charles Jencks.
2003
January
Maggie's holds a reception at Number 11 Downing Street, hosted by Gordon and Sarah Brown.
September
David Landale is appointed Chairman of Board of Directors.
Maggie's Dundee, designed by Frank Gehry, opens at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, the third purpose-built Maggie's Centre to open in the UK. Maggie's Dundee is the UK's first building by the internationally acclaimed architect Frank Gehry. As a good friend of Maggie, Gehry went through numerous revisions before arriving at the final remarkable design with its signature curving walls and an undulating roof. The Dundee building wins the Royal Fine Art Commission Award for 2004 in association with British Sky Broadcasting.
2004
January
The Aberneathy Cancer Support Centre in Oxford becomes part of Maggie's, marking the beginning of Maggie's interim services in Oxford.
Maggie's undergoes an organisational restructure - known as the Landale Review after the Chairman of the time. This restructure brings all the individual local centres together as part of a single national organisation.
As part of this restructure, Professor Bob Leonard succeeds Professor Bill Duncan as Chair of Maggie's Professional Advisory Board, which monitors clinical governance across the organisation.
July
Cherie Blair hosts a fundraising lunch for Maggie's London.
2005
March
Maggie's develops its plans for UK-based challenge fundraising events including: the Monster Bike and Hike and the London Night Hike.
June
The fourth Maggie's Centre (Maggie's Highlands) based at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness opens to the public. Maggie's Highlands is designed by Page and Park. Charles Jencks designs the mounds and the landscape contract is overseen by Gross Max. Building and landform are conceived together as cell forms undergoing mitosis, vesica-shapes in shades of green. The unique structure won the RICS Scotland Community Benefit Award and the Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award.
September
Kisho Kurokawa, the Japanese architect, visits the site for Maggie's South West Wales at Singleton Hospital, Swansea. Kurokawa agrees to undertake the project on a pro-bono basis. In the same month Ian Marchant, the Chief Executive of Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), is appointed Director. Bringing in operational and management skills he helps Maggie’s run more smoothly as a growing organisation.
November
At the invitation of the Keswick Foundation, Maggie's Chief Executive and Chairman visit Hong Kong to discuss the development of a Maggie's Centre in the New Territories, a building that Frank Gehry will design, helped by Maggie’s daughter Lily Jencks. In the same month, Peter Cummings, Chief Executive of Halifax Bank of Scotland Corporate, is appointed a Director and, as part of the London Board, starts to raise funds for Maggie’s London at the Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith. He continues to be a major benefactor of Maggie’s. Jamie Ritblat, Chief Executive of property company Delancy, is appointed Director in November. In addition to supporting Ali Afshar on the property committee, Ritblat’s key role is to support of the Joy of Living Campaign, which aims to raise £15 million to build new centres across England, Scotland and Wales.
2006
February
The Diamond Ball, a charity dinner arranged by HBOS raises £1million for Maggie's.
May
Maggie's develops its first Five Year Plan, which proposes 12 new centres by 2012.
Also this month venture capitalist Danny Rimer, an active member of the London Board, is appointed Director. With a specialist interest in IT and interactive media, Danny takes a key role in developing Maggie’s online presence.
June
Maggie’s hosts a reception at Number 11 Downing Street.
September
The US cancer support charity, The Wellness Community, and Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres are officially affiliated. The Wellness Center was an initial inspiration for Maggie, Laura and Morag when they visited various institutions in California in March 1995.
November
Maggie's Fife, designed by Zaha Hadid, opens at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. Maggie's Fife was designed by Zaha Hadid for her first UK-based building, Zaha creates a sculptural, sparkling black exterior with sharp angles contrasting with a light-filled interior of welcoming curves. Zaha Hadid said of her design: “It's a great honour to create a building that will enhance the experience of people visiting the Maggie's Centre in Fife. I knew Maggie and we shared an understanding of how significantly environments can help enhance personal wellbeing. I feel confident that Maggie would be heartened to see how her vision has come to fruition.” Gordon and Sarah Brown attend the opening. Sarah Brown’s enthusiasm for Maggie’s leads her to become a Patron of the charity.
2007
The National Campaign Board (NCB) is setup to help Maggie’s raise funds for the new network of centres in England and Wales, recruiting a series of five local campaign boards.
March
Geoffrey Ridley brings legal expertise to the charity’s Board as he is appointed a Director. He was formerly Chair of Trustees at Cancer Bridge, a Newcastle-based charity that donated funding for Maggie’s North East.
May
Interim services in temporary accommodation open in Swansea, South West Wales. Interim services are an important part of the process of establishing a Maggie’s Centre – where possible Maggie’s opens an interim service in advance of a purpose-built centre to provide its programme of support. It is also an extremely useful way to establish a presence in the hospital and local fundraising community.
November
Maggie's website, developed by Vexed Digital with the support of Danny Rimer, is launched.
People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL) launches in Scotland, with Maggie’s selected as one of their founding charity partners. PPL goes on to become one of Maggie’s biggest donors, giving us over £1 million in just over two years. As Country Director Annemiek Hoogenboom explains, her ambitions for the lottery are “to raise funds for personalities and organisations who are a role model to make the world a greener and better place”.
The £15 million Joy of Living Campaign is launched, with Sarah Brown as its sole Patron.
December
Maggie's holds a reception at Number 10 Downing Street displaying photographs of visitors to Maggie's Centres taken by Sam Taylor Wood. This is the first time that any pictures other than the Prime Minister's collection have been displayed at Downing Street.
2008
April
Maggie’s is cited in the Government’s Strategy for Cancer Reform as an example of innovative support, Professor Mike Richards, the Government-appointed lead on national cancer issues, visits three Maggie's Centres with Laura Lee and Professor Bob Leonard. This recognition from the Department of Heath for Maggie’s model of cancer care is important both for fundraising and community support.
Maggie's sixth centre in Scotland, an interim service at Wishaw General Hospital in Lanarkshire, opens in temporary accommodation.
The first Maggie’s Centre opens in England at Charing Cross Hospital in London. Nigella Lawson and Sarah Brown attend the opening, which is met with huge media interest. Designed by Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Richard Rogers said that they hoped to create “…Something that is much more than a support centre, more homely, more welcoming, more comfortable, more thought provoking and more uplifting.” The centre wins a number of awards, including the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture in September 2009. Landscape designer, Dan Pearson designs the internal courtyard and external landscape for the centre.
June
A fundraising dinner at Chequers, hosted by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah raises £750,000.
September
Maggie's Online Centre, an interactive resource for anyone affected by cancer, is launched.
November
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall agrees to become President of Maggie’s.
December
By the end of 2008 Maggie’s has nine operational centres. Six are designed by architects, three are interim services (in Oxford, Lanarkshire and South West Wales) and five more are designed and well on their way to being funded. More than 80,000 visits are made to the centres since the beginning of the year.
According to an independent report by Professor Mitch Golant and Professor David Spiegel, the charity has now reached a ‘critical mass’ and it could undertake its own programme of research. Reaching out to survivors of cancer is of particular interest to the charity as increasing numbers of people are living beyond a cancer diagnosis.
2009
April
Michelle Obama visits Maggie’s London with patron Sarah Brown.
June
HRH, The Duchess of Cornwall opens an innovative new garden, designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd, at Maggie’s Dundee.
July
People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL) launches in England. Maggie’s is again selected as one of its charity partners. The PPL team, including Country Director Annemiek Hoogenboom and Managing Director Jo Bucci, go on to complete Maggie’s London Night Hike in August. In addition to the income provided by the lottery, PPL also supports Maggie’s in Scottish parliamentary receptions and by providing media support.
2010
March
First ever Love Maggie’s Day is held.
April
Maggie’s announces plans to complete seven more centres in the Cotswolds, Glasgow Gartnavel, South West Wales, Oxford, Nottingham, North East and Lanarkshire by April 2012. The announcement is followed by a symposium on Architecture and Health, where influential figures from architecture and healthcare explore the ways that architecture could have an impact on people with cancer.
June
Maggie’s, in conjunction with the Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation, launches a campaign to bring a Maggie’s Centre to Aberdeen, the remaining Scottish city without a centre. The new campaign is called Monty’s Maggie’s Appeal and is led by golfer Colin Montgomerie, whose mother, Elizabeth, died of lung cancer in 1991.