The Maggie's cancer caring centres aim to help anyone who has, or has had cancer, as well as their family and friends. They are not intended as a replacement for conventional cancer therapy, but as a caring environment that can provide advice for a healthy body and mind. They are located nearby, but separate from, existing NHS hospitals.

The centres were founded by, and named after, Maggie Keswick Jencks , who, like her husband, architectural theorist Charles Jencks, believed in the ability of buildings to uplift people. Consequently, the buildings are designed by leading architects - the Dundee centre was the first building in the UK by Frank Gehry, a personal friend of Maggie's. Maggie died of cancer in 1995.

In February 2005 the christian right group "Christian Voice" forced the centres to refuse a £3000 donation from Jerry Springer - The Opera.

List of Centres

Open:

• Edinburgh, at the Western General Hospital, designed by Richard Murphy
  • Nominated for 1997 Stirling Prize
• Glasgow, at Beatson Oncology Centre, designed by Page and Park
• Dundee, at Ninewells Hospital, designed by Frank Gehry
  • Nominated for 2004 RIAS Award for Architecture

Worked On:

• Kirkcaldy, Fife, at the Victoria Hospital, designed by Zaha Hadid
• Inverness, Highlands, at Raigmore Hospital, designed by Page and Park
• London, at Charing Cross Hospital, designed by Richard Rogers
• Cambridge, at Addenbrookes Hospital, designed by Daniel Libeskind
• Sheffield. at Royal Hallamshire and Weston Park Hospitals, designed by David Bickle

Planned:

• Nottingham, at Nottingham Hospital, to be designed by Piers Gough
• Cheltenham, at Cheltenham Hospital, to be designed by Sir Richard MacCormac
• Wishaw, Lanarkshire, at the Wishaw General Hospital
• Swansea

External links

• Official Site
• 'What is a charity meant to do ... fight cancer or fight bullies?’ at The Herald