Cancer centres and clean shoes

I have been involved with the Maggies Cancer Centres charity for a number of years, more recently as a Board member. The charity is mainly involved in building drop in centres that are next to oncology facilities to help more people affected by cancer live better lives. My involvement has shown me the role that architecture and design can have on well being and Maggies Centres are all well designed and visually distinctive. Each one is different but they are all, fundamentally, based around the kitchen table. 

The charity started 17 years ago in Edinburgh and this week I attended the opening of the 17th centre which is in Aberdeen. It has been designed by a Norwegian firm of Architects and so was formally opened by the Queen of Norway (hence the need to polish my shoes) along with the Duchess of Rothesay (as the Duchess of Cornwall is known in Scotland).  It is another striking building and I was very taken with the use of natural light and local materials. The centre also celebrates the links between Scotland and Norway and the oil and gas community were out in force as they had played, together with the golfer Colin Montgomerie, a major role in the fund raising. 

I have visited a number of centres over the last few months and know that the latest addition will make a real difference to people's lives in the North East of Scotland.