Dame Laura Lee
Chief Executive, Maggie’s
Living with cancer is always difficult, but feelings of fear, stress and even trauma have intensified during the pandemic.
In our 23 UK centres we hear of worsened outcomes, extreme loneliness and people with limited time watching the last months of their lives tick away, when they should have been spending quality time with family.
Coronavirus has overshadowed cancer, yet we know that our evidence based practical, emotional and psychological support is needed now more than ever.
There are extraordinary moments around our kitchen tables where people of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances naturally and easily support each other through shared experience.
Providing virtual support
Earlier this year we shifted our focus to supporting people by phone, email and online – and over the course of three months, supported people 60,000 times. But, while we understand the need for such support is still there, we also know how important it is for people to come into our centres and see people face to face.
Not only is there a depth of quality and understanding to the support our cancer support specialists and psychologists offer in person, our centres also play an important role in making people feel safe, warm, secure and comforted.
People always say they feel a weight lift from their shoulders the moment they walk through our doors. There are extraordinary moments around our kitchen tables where people of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances naturally and easily support each other through shared experience.
Be it in person or by phone though, my message for 2021, whatever it may bring, is clear – people need expert psychological support more than ever and Maggie’s is best placed to provide that.
For more information, please visit Maggies.org
