Maggie's Manchester
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Maggie's Manchester can help.
Cancer support
Get free one-to-one help and information from our professional team or join groups and activities that are right for you.
A calming space
Come in for a cup of tea, meet people who understand what you're going through or just take a moment to gather your thoughts.
Alongside the hospital
We're the pavilion-style building behind the MCRC building.
Welcome to Maggie's Manchester
Cancer support
Whatever kind of cancer, and whatever stage you’re at – we're here with you. Many of our staff are NHS-trained and all our Cancer Support Specialists have expert knowledge about cancer and treatment.
Our warm and welcoming centre is a place to unwind, a place to find information or switch off from it, a place to talk about cancer or forget about it – just come in.
Meet the team
What's on: Friday 29 September
Stories from our centre
John's story – being mum and dad
Colton's story – Maggie's helped us through our darkest days
Read story“I’ll always talk about him really naturally” – Emma on life beyond death
Read storyGetting here
Maggie's Manchester
at The Robert Parfett Building, The Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 15 Kinnaird Road, Manchester M20 4QL
Getting here by:
Parking is difficult but there is three-hour street parking on all streets near to Maggie's.
Existing Christie patients can use The Christie car parks.
Bus services to Wilmslow Road;
42, 42A,84, 142, 157
Buses are frequent and details of services are available from Transport for Greater Manchester (call 0871 200 22 33).
Nearest train stations:
Mauldeth Road station via bus 178.
Burnage station via bus 197 to Withington
East Didsbury station via buses 42, 84
There is a metrolink tram stop at West Didsbury, 5-10 minutes walk from Maggie's.
We are at the bottom of Kinnaird Road off Wilmslow Road on the opposite side to the main hospital building.
Cross over the pedestrian crossing near the Out Patient’s clinic entrance. We are behind the large white Manchester Cancer Research Centre (MCRC).
Walk down to the right of this building on Kinnaird Road. You will see our pavilion style building at the bottom of Kinnaird Road.
Designed for you...
Healing architecture
Set in a peaceful garden, our beautiful centre opened in April 2016.
It was designed by Foster + Partners who were inspired by the existing green spaces around it.
News...
Foster + Partners celebrate seven years of Maggie's Manchester with new film
Maggie’s Manchester had personal significance to Lord Foster – having been born in Manchester and experienced a diagnosis first-hand.
Since it opened, the building has become a home for countless thousands of people in the area as they negotiate the challenges cancer brings.
Time has deepened the hold of Dan Pearson’s garden too, with its range of beds, micro gardens, and internal courtyards providing colour and contrast to the timber-framed building throughout the changing seasons.
In revisiting the centre seven years on, Foster + Partners focused on the impact the centre has had on people’ lives:
- Katherine relates her journey from personal diagnosis to leading the team of gardeners at the centre
- Robin the Centre Head reflects on how the design makes the team feel different about the work they do
- And clinicians from the Christie share how over time they regularly see better outcomes for those who visit the centre.
Healing architecture
We know that great design and architecture can help the people who come to us for support feel better – and help us to give the best possible cancer support.
While each Maggie's centre is unique, our buildings fit perfectly into its surroundings – a home from home that's designed to feel nothing like a hospital.
Here with you
We're here to support you, your family and friends through the emotional and practical challenges cancer can bring.
Come and see us at your nearest Maggie’s, you don't need an appointment, just come in.
Call us on 0300 123 180 or email us at enquiries@maggies.org
People with cancer more worried about cost of living than diagnosis
The OnePoll* survey, polled 500 people currently living with cancer.
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80% of people with cancer also said they are worried about the cost of travel to their hospital appointments with over a third (34%) saying they worry ‘very much’
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Over half (55%) of those surveyed also said they think they will struggle to pay for food this winter and two thirds (67%) think heating bills will be a problem.
At our centres, we are hearing about people with cancer struggling to go to appointments because of travel costs and/or asking if they can end treatment early so they can return to work because they can’t afford to be off any longer.
Cost of living overshadows living with cancer
Our Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee said: It is truly shocking that people living with cancer – which is possibly the hardest, most frightening experience of their lives – are now so worried about money that it is overshadowing the fact they are living with cancer.
Many even feel the current crisis will impact their chances of successful treatment.
The situation is clearly only going to get worse as the cost of fuel, food and heating continue to rise in the autumn. We know people with cancer are harder hit by the cost of living crisis. They need to use more heating, they are living on reduced incomes and paying to travel for treatment.
We also know people are returning to work too early and even missing appointments because they can’t survive on benefits. This too can have devastating consequences.
This is simply wrong. People with cancer need to be able to focus on treatment.
At our 24 UK centres we have experts to help if someone is worried about money as well as professional staff to help with eating well on a budget, stress management and much more. We are here for you.
Yamin's story
Yasmin, 57, from West London has secondary breast cancer and had to give up working for British Airways – a job she had been in for 20 years due to ill health.
She is struggling trying to live on benefits and says it’s an experience she has found humiliating. This has been greatly exacerbated by the recent cost of living crisis.
Yasmin said: Physically I am doing ok, the side effects of the drugs I need to take are not too bad, but mentally I have been affected.
Applying for benefits has been humiliating and it was not something I asked for. I never asked for cancer, I never asked to lose my job. Claiming benefits is such an intimidating process.
I live by myself. My nephew in Canada invited me to stay with him over Christmas in 2021 and paid for my flight. He and his wife wanted to look after me and make sure I would not be alone for Christmas.
It was a very happy time, however, when I came back my PIP claim was rejected by the DWP when they learnt that I had travelled to Canada. They said I could not be that bad because I had managed to get on a plane, and they wouldn’t give me anything. I couldn’t believe I had gone to Canada for support and this was being used against me. It was so humiliating.
Thankfully, Zoe, the benefits adviser at Maggie’s in West London helped me to appeal this decision. I just couldn’t have done it by myself, I was not in my right mind. We actually had to do this twice before I was awarded any money.
My income is now my PIP and Employment Support Allowance. I am learning to live differently after decades of having a good income. I have a flat in Uxbridge and I have been there for ten years.
When I lost my job, the council began paying my rent to my private landlord. Their rate is lower than what I used to pay (around £800 compared to £1,000). The landlord is not happy about that, so I am just hoping that he won’t kick me out.
I am living on essentials and never buy clothing. Things are definitely getting worse.
I go to the supermarket at around 6pm to buy the reduced bread, I’ll freeze half because I can’t afford to buy it fresh anymore.
If you could come and see how I live, I don’t think you would believe it. Little things make a really big difference.
Worried about money
Melanie Bunce, Benefits Advisor for Maggie’s Fife, said: I have been a Benefits Advisor for 25 years and this current situation is the worst I have ever seen.
The fact is that even very ordinary situations are now becoming impossible for people with cancer.
People who could have managed a year ago are now facing stark choices between eating, heating and travel to hospital appointments – and particularly badly hit are those in low income jobs.
The stories we are hearing in our centres have become so much more desperate in the last six months and it is only going to get worse.
How we can help
We're have expert staff in our centres available to help you.
- Find your nearest centre for free support and information, we can help you with things like emotional support, money worries and diet and nutrition.
- Call us on 0300 123 180
- Email us at enquiries@maggies.org
Our coverage
Please see some of the coverage generated on the back of our OnePoll survey looking at how worried people with cancer are about the cost of living crisis.
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The Times: public left in limbo by leadership battle as energy prices soar
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ITV: Dad had to work during chemo to keep the lights on for his children
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Metro: Energy cap families fear bill rises during cost of living crisis
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STV News: Cancer patients 'more worried about cost of living than diagnosis'
We also appeared on Sky News, LBC, STV’s 6 o’clock news and news bulletins running throughout the day on Classic FM, Heart, Capital, Smooth, Radio X and Gold.
*Research used must state as a reference
OnePoll surveyed 500 respondents from across the UK from 22 July 2022 - 1 August 2022. The survey was conducted online using panel members who are credited to participate in surveys. Respondents who are currently living with cancer were targeted using screening questions and profile data in order to ensure the correct demographic was achieved.
What to do if you're worried about bowel cancer symptoms
Trish Morgan
Why are we talking about bowel cancer so much?
Screenings for all types of cancer have been affected by the pandemic, but throughout Dame Deborah James’ life, and through her death, she has shone a spotlight on bowel cancer in particular.
At Maggie’s, we are seeing more and more people come into our centres for cancer support. We’re here to support you and your family at any point.
What is bowel cancer?
Cancer forms when cells in the body start to multiply in an uncontrolled way.
For bowel cancer, this happens in the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum. Depending on where the cancer starts, it can also be known as colon, rectal, or colorectal cancer.
It is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in the UK. Nearly 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK, according to Bowel Cancer UK.
What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?
- blood or mucus in your poo
- a change in bowel habits which is not normal for you, either more constipation, or more loose bowel movements – this change is persistent and unexplained
- the feeling of wanting to go to the toilet but not being able to go
- extreme tiredness which doesn’t get better after you sleep
- unexplained weight loss or being short of breath.
What should I do if I’m worried I have symptoms?
If you have symptoms, don’t be embarrassed and don’t ignore them. Remember, doctors are used to seeing lots of issues related to bowels.
It’s really important to get it checked out if the symptoms last for a while, or after you have ruled other things out.
Most of the time, these symptoms won’t be cancer – it could be so many things like haemorrhoids, irritable bowel, or you may have just eaten something that doesn’t agree with you.
But if your symptoms are persistent, you should contact your GP or the NHS by calling 111.
If it’s found early, bowel cancer can be very treatable.
What can I do to prepare for the GP appointment?
You might want to keep a symptoms diary to help you describe them to your doctor and to make the most out of a GP appointment, as you probably only have 10 minutes with them, and you might forget things.
It helps them to know when the symptoms began, and to rule other causes out.
How we can help
We're here to support you through the emotional and practical challenges cancer can bring:
- Find your nearest centre for free support and information if you or a friend or family member has cancer. We can help you with things like emotional support, money worries and diet and nutrition
- Get free information on cancer treatments, money and benefits, or caring for someone with cancer.
Come and see us at your nearest Maggie’s, call us on 0300 123 180 or email us at enquiries@maggies.org.