3 December 2010
Special guests, fundraisers, doctors, nurses and other members of Trust staff gathered at the Cancer Information and Support Centre at St Helier Hospital earlier this week (Monday 29 November), to watch as the new centre was officially opened.
After months of fundraising and preparation, the centre - which offers emotional support and information to local people who have been affected by cancer - was unveiled by the Trust's Director of Operations, Karen Breen, Clinical Director of Cancer Services, Dr Lydia Jones and Deputy Editor of the Sutton Guardian, Matthew Knowles.
Karen said: "It's a pleasure and a privilege to have opened this brand new centre. We would like to say a huge thank you to the staff and volunteers who have worked hard in making this happen, and to all of the local people who donated money to the cause. We would also like to pay thanks to 'Operation Butterfly' - the fundraising campaign launched by the Sutton Guardian, which helped to raise more than £10,000 for the centre.
"I'm sure that every person knows someone who has been affected by cancer and is all too aware of the impact it can have on the patient, as well as their family and friends. It's fantastic that we can offer support and care to local people who need it."
Dr Jones said: "Since opening the Macmillan Butterfly Centre at Epsom Hospital in 2001, it has been our ambition to set up a similar service for the people of Sutton and Merton. And now, thanks to the generosity of local people, the support of our local paper and the Carshalton Beeches Rotary club who also donated a staggering £10,000, that ambition has been realised.
"The centre is here to help people cope as they come to terms with a cancer diagnosis and the effects it can have. Here is a quiet space where they can come to relax, learn more about their condition or simply have some time to themselves and enjoy a complementary therapy, such as reflexology or a massage.
"Of course, it is vital that cancer patients get the very best possible care in our hospitals, but we also need to be able to support them and the people around them. Having a support centre like this is invaluable to our patients and it's an asset to the Trust."
