Philanthropist Steve Morgan CBE opens new cancer support centre in North Wales
02.10.25
A new cancer care centre in North Wales has been opened by philanthropist Steve Morgan CBE.
Maggie’s North Wales at the Steve Morgan Foundation Building, built in the grounds of Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, has been completely commissioned, designed and funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation. The new centre will support the whole North Wales area which sees 4,800 people newly diagnosed with cancer every year.
Dame Laura Lee, DBE, Chief Executive, of Maggie’s said: “We are delighted our new centre in Denbighshire is open and that we are now able to support people living with cancer, including family and friends, from across North Wales.
“We have been able to bring Maggie’s to North Wales thanks to the incredible generous support of the Steve Morgan Foundation in commissioning, designing, building and funding our centre, and for that I am so grateful.
“The Steve Morgan Foundation has committed to building three new Maggie’s centres in the North West– including the one in North Wales – which is a truly phenomenal act of philanthropy.
“I am greatly looking forward to continuing to work with the Steve Morgan Foundation, and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure we support as many people as possible from across the whole area.
“Maggie’s is here for everyone who needs it, and we are free with no appointment or referral required. We know this makes a huge difference to helping people cope with their diagnosis: from getting ready for cancer treatment, help with potential side-effects, support after treatment, providing benefits advice, or coping with advanced cancer.
“I’m delighted that Maggie’s North Wales is now open, and Maggie’s support is available at all three NHS cancer centres in Wales”.
The Steve Morgan Foundation provided £4 million to build the centre in North Wales, and has already commissioned, designed, built and funded Maggie’s, Wirral which officially opened in the grounds of Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Wirral in September 2021. In 2024, the centre supported people nearly 20,000 times.
Read more: Maggie's Centre North Wales - Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
A third Maggie’s centre in Liverpool is set to be built within the grounds of the New Royal Liverpool Hospital next to the new Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool – received planning permission last week and is also being built thanks to the Steve Morgan Foundation.
Steve Morgan CBE, Chairman of the Steve Morgan Foundation, said: “It’s wonderful to have the new Maggie’s centre in North Wales open.
“The new centre will ensure the people of North Wales have easy access to the vital cancer support that Maggie’s provides and we are pleased to be able to make that happen. The ethos of the Foundation is to ‘give money away well’ and our partnership with Maggie’s is a prime example of how we can harness our expertise, practical support and commercial experience to maximise the impact of our financial support.
“We are very excited to see this centre doing what it has been designed to do – supporting people with cancer at possibly the hardest time of their lives - and to continuing our partnership with Maggie’s through the development of the centre in Liverpool.”
Jules Peters, wife of the late Mike Peters of Welsh rock band The Alarm, was also at the opening.
Mike died earlier this year after living with cancer for 30 years. Their son Evan sang with Welsh opera singer Rhys Meirion to help celebrate the opening.
Jules said: “It is wonderful to be here today to see the Maggie’s centre in North Wales open. Maggie’s free, expert support for people living with cancer is so badly needed and I know the centre will help a huge number of people at what I know is such a difficult time. Mike would have loved to see it open, and I am sure we would have visited.”
Kevin Owen, 61, was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and has been supported by Maggie’s on the Wirral, was also present at the centre’s opening.
He said: “I was fortunate during and after my cancer treatment to have a Maggie’s nearby to my home at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre Wirral. The support I received from Maggie’s has helped make a difficult journey a bit easier. As a native Welsh speaker from Bethesda I was in touch with others affected by cancer from that area and realised how fortunate I was to be close to a Maggie’s.
“The new Maggie’s at Glan Clwyd will make it so much easier for people across North Wales to access the superb support offered. A very much needed support service for people affected by cancer in North Wales.”
Carol Shillabeer, Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: "We are delighted that North Wales now hosts a new Maggie’s centre, providing invaluable support to people living with cancer across North Wales. Its arrival at Glan Clwyd Hospital, where our North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre was recently re-designated as a Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence for neuro-oncology, strengthens our regional capability. It ensures that additional compassionate, expert care is available close to home. We are grateful to the Steve Morgan Foundation and Maggie's for making this much-needed centre possible."
Maggie’s, North Wales is the third Maggie’s in Wales, with Maggie’s, Swansea opening in 2011 and Maggie’s, Cardiff opening in 2019. These two centres supported people with cancer, as well as family and friends, more than 18,500 times in 2024.
Maggie’s has 30 years of experience and expertise providing free cancer support and information in centres across the UK. Built in the grounds of NHS cancer hospitals, the centres are warm and welcoming and are run by expert staff, who help people live well with cancer.
Maggie’s relies almost entirely on voluntary donations to support and grow its network of centres and to develop its unique, high-quality programme of support. The charity’s aim is to make the biggest difference possible to people living with cancer and their family and friends.
We want our centres to be there to support as many of these people, and their families, as possible and we rely on the generosity of communities around the centres to make that happen.
To find out more about Maggie’s in North Wales and how you can support the centre please visit: https://www.maggies.org/our-centres/maggies-north-wales/
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