Palace Offers Support to Oxford Cancer Charity
Blenheim Palace has officially adopted Maggie’s Oxford as one of its charities of the year for 2017.
Each year Blenheim Palace supports a local charity to help build relationships between the Palace and the community, increase employee engagement and to benefit the many organisations who provide assistance to Oxfordshire residents.
Maggie’s Oxford offers free practical, emotional and social support for people with cancer and their families and friends at its purpose-built centre in the grounds of the Churchill Hospital in Headington.
Throughout 2017 the staff at Blenheim Palace will be taking on challenges and organising events to fundraise for the Maggie’s Oxford Centre.
The staff team have their first event in March where they’ll be going head to head in a quiz at a local pub. Members of the public will be able to support the cause in all the shops and departments at Blenheim Palace.
The team are also planning a public event at Blenheim Palace in aid of Maggie’s, with more details being released later in the year.
“We are delighted to be able to support such a worthwhile, effective and important local charity,” said Dominic Hare, Chief Executive Blenheim Palace.
“Cancer is something which affects every one of us, directly or indirectly, and the need for care and understanding, both for the person with cancer and their families, is incredibly important.
“We’re proud to have such an amazing centre so close by and hope that, as well as raising money, we also manage to raise awareness of the extraordinary work its staff and volunteers provide,” he added.
Founded on the ideas about cancer care originally laid out by Maggie Keswick Jencks, the centre provides a warm and welcoming place where anyone affected by cancer can access friendly and professional support on a drop-in basis, completely free of charge.
On average the Maggie’s Oxford Centre is used by 50 people every day, with 99% of people reporting they find the support helpful.
The centre is funded entirely by voluntary donations and does not receive any government or NHS funding.
Claire Marriott, Centre Head at Maggie’s Oxford said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Blenheim Palace for raising money for Maggie’s Oxford, their efforts will allow us to continue to develop our unique, high quality programme of support to help people with cancer and their family and friends.
“We wish them the best of luck and look forward to joining in with some of their plans!”
The first Maggie’s Centre opened in Edinburgh in 1996 and since then Maggie’s has continued to grow, with 19 Centres at major NHS cancer hospitals in the UK, online and abroad.