Maggie’s Glasgow creates ‘pop-up’ centre experience for local community

On the 28^th and 29^th June at Buchanan Galleries and 30^th June and 1^st July at the St Enoch Centre the ‘pop-up’ will be open for the general public, so that the people of Glasgow can experience firsthand what a Maggie’s Centre can bring to someone with cancer. Shoppers will be able to speak one-to-one with Maggie’s staff and volunteers for a unique insight into the vital work that Maggie’s charity does in caring for the community.

Glasgow’s two Maggie’s centres, Gatehouse and Gartnavel, work in tandem to serve the west of Scotland – an area with a high incidence of cancer. With sometimes over one hundred visits per day to a centre, the local charity provides important emotional, practical and social support to people with cancer, as well as their family and friends. The services they provide can be anything from attending a support group to understand how to cope with explaining to children, to having a chat over a cup of tea with someone in the same situation, or participating in a Tai Chi lesson. Maggie’s is dedicated to empowering people to live with, through and beyond cancer.

Gillian Hailstones, Centre Head for Gatehouse and Gartnavel Maggie’s, comments: “We take great pride in the work that we do to continue Maggie Jencks vision for supporting people with cancer and those who care for them. The Centres help people find their way through the confusion a cancer diagnosis can bring and encourages a sense of community through meeting others in similar situations. Maggie’s provides a truly unique environment for individuals dealing with cancer and we are excited that Glasgow is the first city to take a taste of our Maggie’s centres out to the local community. Our role in helping families within Glasgow affected by cancer and improving their quality of life is vital and we hope that the community will support their local charity by visiting us at the ‘pop-up’ centre.”

Ian McFarlane, 66, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer four years ago and has been visiting the Gatehouse Centre for three years, comments on his experience of using the centre, "I was in a dazed state when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. A friend told me about the group that meets at Maggie's every Wednesday morning. It has been a godsend coming to the group because it has been very reassuring to speak to people in the same boat. I talk about things within the group that it’s difficult to talk about with my family and friends. The chance to engage with people is so valuable and helpful, especially when I was experiencing side-effects from radiotherapy."

Volunteering donations are essential to Maggie’s as each centre costs over £3,000 per day to run. You can find out more and sponsor a special place at Maggie’s here:  http://www.maggiescentres.org/donate/donate1.html

 There’s more about the pop up Maggie’s events here: https://www.facebook.com/events/408021319249734/