I was recently invited to spend an afternoon at Maggie’s Cheltenham and so I was keen to include it as the third post in my series focusing on Maggie’s Centres. One of Maggie’s more conservative centres, it is a conversion and extension of a Victorian pool keeper’s lodge in the grounds of Cheltenham General Hospital.
Working in a similar way to the series of outdoor seats at Maggie’s London, a water sculpture by William Pye runs parallel to the pathway from the road to the centre entrance, drawing visitors in. William said: “Those approaching the centre will first encounter the source of the water course, rippling over a series of terraces and then follow it as water is mysteriously funnelled into the pipe element of the piece, reappearing at the far end onto a circular table of overflowing water. Artifice has been used to intrigue those who are puzzled by how it works. It will not be immediately clear how it can work, since the water travelling up and down from one end of the site to the other appears to defy gravity.” This intrigue serves to distract those nervous about visiting for the first time.
Once inside, the centre’s former life gives it a particularly homely atmosphere. A series of small spaces provide the capacity for different people to use the centre in different ways at the same time. Each centre has a library like the one above, stocked with all the information people with cancer might need, including literature from other charities. A Cancer Support Specialist is always on hand to talk through how that information relates to each individual’s circumstances.
The architect responsible for the centre was Sir Richard MacCormac of MJP Architects and the landscape architect was Dr Christine Facer Hoffman. Sir Richard MacCormac said: “It’s not really a building; it’s a large piece of inhabited furniture with a roof hovering above it. Furniture is more immediate than buildings are: we use it, touch it, engage with it. Through the joinery we convey care, so that when people come in they feel they have come to a place about care.”
Sir Richard describes his design as: “responsive to different frames of mind or moods” and the centre includes small rooms or ‘pods’ that can be used for providing one to one or group support, or simply as a private space.
People have been known snuggle up with a blanket and a cushion and grab 40 winks after treatment. Maggie’s believes in the importance of delivering support in an environment in which people feel relaxed and safe – the ability to sleep in a space is surely testament to that.
I was really interested to learn recently that the cushions in Maggie’s centres are plumped regularly to ensure that people feel a space is waiting just for them – it doesn’t look like someone else has just left it; it doesn’t “carry the weight of grief.” Blankets are provided not only because cancer treatment can leave you very sensitive to the cold, but also because they provide a sense of reassurance and security. They are always of the highest quality to make people feel valued and cared for.
Since opening in 2010, Maggie’s Cheltenham has won a Civic Trust Awards Commendation (2012), a RIBA Award (2011) and the Cheltenham Civic Award – New Building (2011).
But more far more importantly is the impact it has on people with cancer. While I was there I met a beautiful young mum who had just been diagnosed and was visiting the centre for the first time. It is a credit to the building and the wonderful people who work in it, that she felt completely comfortable discussing her deepest fears with a group of people she’d just met.
Cheltenham is the third Maggie’s centre I’ve visited and I was struck by how it had a very definite sense of ‘Maggie’s-ness’ despite being quite different from other two centres I’d seen. Each architect seems able to create a unique response to the brief and yet capture the essence of what a Maggie’s centre is – and Cheltenham is no exception. It provides a real sanctuary from the hospital and from the challenges people with cancer face on a daily basis.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- maggie’s :: london
- maggie’s :: gartnavel
- interview :: joy of living part 2
- out and about :: celebrating maggie’s and oma/progress
Declaration of Interest: I am very privileged to work part time as a writer for Maggie’s, an incredible charity who provide emotional, practical and social support for people with cancer and their families and friends from stunning buildings set within the grounds of specialist cancer hospitals. These are my opinions; not those of Maggie’s.
