Next month I’m going to be doing the Maggies Culture Crawl with my friends and colleagues in CT. Maggies is a UK charity with a base in Aberdeen within ARI grounds where patients and their families can go for support when dealing with cancer. From helping patients to deal with a new cancer diagnosis, to supporting family members of those patients at any point in a cancer journey. They provide free advice and support from a team of psychologists, support specialists and benefits advisors.

It’s such a warm and welcoming place where they always have time to put the kettle on, listen and provide support to patients, their families and also to those who are doing it completely alone. They have different support groups where patients can meet and chat with others going through the same experience. It gives patients, carers and families a safe space to relax, have a chat and not have the pressure of a hospital setting where sometimes it can be overwhelming.

Maggies is a charity close to my heart and to so many others who I work with. When working in CT, I would often talk to patients going through chemo or just about to start a difficult chapter in life who would just want someone outwith their friend and family circle to offload their real worries to and as much as I could I would listen, but I would always tell them about Maggie’s and hope that they used them too.

So this year I am hoping to give them something back after sending so many people their way. We would appreciate any donations, big or small, to keep this charity going and help them to support even more people.