Maggie's as "community jewel"
Wednesday, April 01, 2009,
AMERICA'S First Lady Michelle Obama today visited the London centre of Maggie's – the charity set to build premises for cancer patients and their families in Nottingham – and described it as a "community jewel."
Mrs Obama made tour of the centre at Charing Cross Hospital, accompanied by Prime Minister's wife Sarah Brown, while their husbands got down to business at Downing Street ahead of the G20 Summit.
Mrs Obama, who was greeted by press and centre staff, said she was delighted to visit Maggie's London, which has had more than 12,000 visitors since it opened nearly a year ago.
She said: "Community jewels like this centre should always be celebrated. I was impressed with the centre's warm and caring environment."
Mrs Brown, Maggie's patron, said: "Bringing Michelle to the London centre was a great opportunity to demonstrate the role that Maggie's plays in the community, inspiring wellbeing through their design and providing the emotional support required to live with a critical illness such as cancer.
"They were originally inspired by American influences which has now taken root all over the UK."
The £500,000 appeal for Maggie's Nottingham has raised more than £353,000 since it was launched in February. 2007, by the Post.
The £3m centre, which will be built in the grounds of the City Hospital, will provide emotional, psychological and practical supporter for cancer patients, family and friends in a non-institutional uplifting setting.
Maggie's Nottingham supporter Mary Smith, 66, from Ruddington, said: "It's wonderful. This will really put Maggie's in the spotlight."
Read the latest Maggie's news at www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/maggies.
