Maggie’s Lanarkshire currently have an interim facility at Wishaw General Hospital, which opened in April 2008 – this centre has steadily grown, receiving over 2,500 visits in 2010.

The permanent centre will be able to open its doors to many more visitors and will be based at Monklands Hospital, as the new site for cancer services in the region will be based there, following a Scottish Government Review.

Maggie’s are working in partnership with the Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation in the region to raise the target of £3million needed to cover the building costs and first two year’s running costs of the centre. The Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation was set up by golfer, Colin Montgomerie, in memory of his mother, who passed away from cancer.

Colin Montgomerie said: “I am so pleased that the unique design by Neil Gillespie and his team at Reiach and Hall has received planning permission. The opening of the first Maggie’s Centre to be built in my mother’s name will be a very proud moment for me and my family and I know that this iconic building will provide a sanctuary for the people of Lanarkshire affected by cancer, who will now have a place to go where they can get support at a very difficult time. I very much look forward to visiting the site in July and meeting some of the people that will benefit from this Centre.”

Lorrie Forsyth, Maggie's Lanarkshire Centre Head said: “This is fabulous news. What a great step forward for Maggie’s Lanarkshire and for the thousands of people in the region affected by cancer. We have proven through the work of our interim facility that Maggie’s has a vitally positive role to play in people’s cancer journey. But we are greatly limited by space within the interim facility. The permanent centre will allow us to open our doors to thousands more people and will also allow us to provide our programme of support within an inspiring and uplifting building. The design by Neil Gillespie is truly wonderful. It is now a case of continuing with our fundraising and with providing support at our interim facility before breaking ground on the centre in the near future.”

The architect working on the project is Neil Gillespie, of Reiach and Hall Architects. Neil is known for his designs for buildings such as The Pier Arts Centre in Stromness and the Collective Gallery in Edinburgh.

Neil said: “The entire team is delighted that we have reached this exciting stage in the project. We have thoroughly enjoyed what has been an enlightening and measured design process, we are now eager to move ahead and experience the building for real.”

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For more information, please contact Tricia Crosbie on 0141 341 5678.