Green light for new cancer support centre in Coventry

Plans for a brand-new cancer support centre have been given the go-ahead in Coventry. It will provide expert support for people with the illness and is set to be built on the grounds of University Hospital Coventry in Walsgrave.

Designed by Jamie Fobert Architects, the new one-storey building, which will be named Maggies, will have a focus on well-being and sustainability, including the use of natural light and natural materials, the UHCW NHS Trust said. It will support 135,000 people living with cancer in Coventry and the West Midlands.

Architects who drew up the plans for Maggies said it would be the first of its kind in the West Midlands. It is hoped the new centre will be open to support people living with cancer by 2027.

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Maggies was founded in Edinburgh in 1966 and has since grown into a network of centres built beside NHS hospitals across the UK. Volunteers are now actively fundraising to deliver the brand-new centre at University Hospital Coventry.

Professor Andy Hardy, Chief Executive of the UHCW NHS Trust, said: “I am delighted to hear that we are a major step closer to having a beautiful new Maggies centre on-site here at University Hospital Coventry. It will make a real difference to patients who come here from across the area for treatment, as well as their family and friends.

“Patients we care for are often tired, stressed, and emotionally and physically drained by their illness, so I am sure they will very much welcome having this fantastic facility and additional support from Maggies specialist staff, which is designed to complement the work we do here.”

Dame Laura Lee, Chief Executive at Maggies, added: “We are delighted to have planning permission to build our new Maggies in Coventry. We have been working with University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust for many years to bring our expert support to the people of the West Midlands, so it is wonderful we are now a step closer.”

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