22 January 2025
A different kind of cancer care: Maggie’s Centres.
William Grant Foundation

Key learnings:
- Maggie’s Centres complement medical treatment by addressing the psychological and emotional challenges of living with cancer.
- Each architecturally designed centre provides a tranquil and comforting environment, offering a contrast to clinical settings.
- The centres have been shown to reduce anxiety, depression and isolation, contributing to better overall health outcomes.
- Collaboration between Maggie’s Centres and NHS Scotland creates a more comprehensive and patient-centred approach to cancer treatment.
“At Maggie’s, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those whose lives are touched by cancer, offering the support they need, when they need it most,” says Lorrie Cameron, Centre Head of the Maggie’s Centre at Monklands Hospital in Lanarkshire.
Currently, more than 3 million people in the UK are living with cancer, and this is expected to rise to 4 million by 2030. Maggie’s centres offer an open door to anyone with a cancer diagnosis as well as their friends and family. Providing a tranquil, non-clinical environment, the centres – each one designed by a different award-winning architect – are located in hospital grounds, making it easy for patients to drop in, though online support is available, too.
Support in the right environment
The first thing a visitor is likely to be offered is a cup of tea. Social space for informal conversation is at the heart of every Maggie’s centre but there are rooms for private counselling and group activities, too.
Connecting over a cuppa at Maggie’s.

“We work alongside the NHS,” explains Lorrie “Our team comprises cancer support specialists, psychologists and benefits advisors and we bring-in others like nutritionists, art therapists and yoga instructors to provide wrap-around support, whatever stage someone is at.”
“I thought I’d be going for a cup of tea, a friendly ear. What I actually got was nine months of life-changing, expert, 1 to 1 support from incredible professionals.” Katie, Maggie’s Edinburgh visitor
Maggie’s centres can be found at every one of NHS Scotland’s Cancer Centres, from Inverness to Airdrie. In 2024, this enabled Maggie’s to reach 36% of people newly diagnosed with cancer in Scotland.
Strengthening wellbeing and connections
The Foundation has been supporting Maggie’s since 2018, with over half a million pounds provided to date. At first, our grants supported the running costs of the Centre at Monklands Hospital, Lanarkshire – William Grant & Sons had made a donation towards the cost of the building in 2011, and it’s the closest Maggie’s Centre to the company’s bottling plant and customer service centre in Bellshill.
But since 2020, our annual grant has supported the charity’s work across all eight centres in Scotland, recognising the charity’s contribution to our aim of helping people live well with long-term or life-limiting health conditions and feel more in control of their wellbeing.
84% of people accessing Maggie’s services before treatment report improved confidence in asking their medical team questions, and 79% are more confident about being involved in treatment decisions.
But, ultimately, perhaps the greatest thing that Maggie’s provides is a sense of not facing cancer on your own:
“You sense the warmth as soon as you come in and I’ve met so many lovely people… I kept coming to Maggie’s alongside my recovery. I felt that I have a connection here.” – Steve, Maggie’s visitor.
This short video captures how Maggie’s Centres provide space for connection, comfort, and building confidence, through the voices of those who have experienced their support.