Dame Laura Lee, DBE, on how Maggie's began

The critical need for expert psychological and practical support after a cancer diagnosis is well proven and it is essential that this is offered as part of the cancer pathway. Maggie’s is the answer to this need, and I will not stop until everyone in the UK has a Maggie’s within geographical reach.

– Dame Laura Lee, DBE, Maggie’s Chief Executive

Maggie Keswick Jencks

Laura's work was inspired by her friend, Maggie Keswick Jencks, whom she met back in the early 1990s when Maggie was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer. 

It was Maggie’s experience of being left in a windowless hospital corridor after being told this terrible news that compelled their vision for a different kind of cancer care - where people facing cancer could find a warm and welcoming space offering them and their families would be offered whatever support they needed. 

Maggie herself sadly died before she could see her vision become reality but Laura opened the first Maggie’s centre in the grounds of the Western General Hospital in 1996 and became our first member of staff.  

Demand for Maggie's 

Demand for Maggie’s grew and with more centres opening, Laura moved to London and became Chief Executive in 1998. 

Over the last 30 years Laura has worked tirelessly to make a difference to the lives of people with cancer and in 2019 in recognition for this work she became a Dame in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

Today Maggie’s has never been more needed as more and more people are living with cancer.

Expert voice on cancer support

Laura has become a trusted voice on the impact of cancer on people’s lives and champions the development of ground-breaking support.

Maggie's is one of the country’s leading experts for supporting people to live well with cancer, to deal with the side effects of treatment and cope with the psychological challenges it can bring.

In 2025, we anticipate opening three new centres and to continue development of another five. 

Laura adds:

Our support makes all the difference to people. People tell us time and again we pick them up, put them back together and enable them to thrive, as well as offering that support to their friends, families and loved ones.

"With a record number of people now living with cancer our ambition is simple, we want everyone to have the option of Maggie’s expert support near to where they live. With our help, nobody ever has to feel like they are facing cancer alone.

About us

Learn more about our unique approach to cancer care, healing architecture and how we deliver the best possible care in our centres

• Read Maggie's manifesto, A view from the front line which outlines her idea for a new type of cancer care 
• The Architecture of Hope – the story of our centres, and how we have grown over the past 25 years to help people to live well with cancer, written by Co-Founder Charles Jencks