Key to the Door: The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre is fundraising for a new home

The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre is celebrating its 21st birthday this year and, as tradition dictates, is planning to get its very own ‘key to the door’ at a new and larger Centre in Tunbridge Wells.

Named after the late local oncologist, Dr David Pickering, the Centre provides a safe, friendly and homely space for anyone impacted by cancer, as well as their friends and family. It is entirely self-funding and relies on donations to survive.

Pickering originally opened its doors at the Homeopathic Hospital in Tunbridge Wells on Friday 26 November 2004 and moved into its current home in Monson Road in July 2007. While that home has provided a warm and cosy hub for its visitors since then, now is the time for Pickering to ‘come of age’ and move to a Centre that is larger and more suitable to the needs of its visitors, as well as being more accessible.

“We love our current Centre but, over these past few years, we have really outgrown it,” says Caroline McGibney, Centre Manager at the Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre. “It would be wonderful to have some dedicated offices for our team, some more private areas for visitors who need some space and some additional – and more accessible – therapy rooms, so we can offer a wider variety of treatments to our visitors.”

A new Centre will help the charity to enter its next stage of life on a firm footing. For this to become a reality and for its visitors – and their friends and family – to continue benefiting from the support Pickering provides, the charity has set a goal of raising £150,000 during 2025.

“Now is the right time for Pickering to make its next move,” says David Bartholomew, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre. “These funds will enable Pickering to move into a new home and transform it into the cosy, warm and welcoming space we are currently so proud of at 27 Monson Road. We are grateful to anyone who feels they can help us with our fundraising.”

A new Centre will enable Pickering to continue supporting visitors like Paul, who said recently: “This place is like a ‘great big cuddle’ when you really need it. And it’s not just the volunteers who support us; talking to other visitors makes a difference too. Everyone here is on their own personal journey but just sharing what we are going through together really helps.”