Maggie’s Centre in Kirkcaldy marks 20 years of invaluable support

It hosted a special event for its 20th birthday last week, welcoming many key supporters to the building which sits in the grounds of the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.

The milestone comes as Maggie’s also celebrates 30 years of supporting people with cancer, and their family and friends across the UK - the very first one opened in Edinburgh in November 1996.

The centres were the vision of Maggie Keswick Jencks who used her own experience of having cancer to create a new type of care - places outwith clinical hospital settings which were welcoming and warm for anyone dealing cancer diagnosis.

Maggie’s doors are open to all, no appointment is needed, and everything revolves around its large kitchen area where people are welcomed to find out more about its wide range of support services.

Debbie McCrae, centre head for Maggie’s Fife said: “It was wonderful to celebrate both 30 years of Maggie’s as a charity supporting people throughout the UK, and 20 years of Maggie’s in Kirkcaldy with so many of our centre visitors and supporters from over the years.

“Maggie’s Fife has grown hugely over the last 20 years and the centre now receives around 9000 visits per year equating to 40-50 visits per day.

“The thousands of people we have supported over the last 20 years goes to show how vital Maggie’s is to people impacted by cancer in the Fife area. We’re continuing to grow and adapt our programme to suit local needs, including introducing ‘Getting Started’ sessions for people beginning chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

“More people are surviving cancer today, but it still remains very challenging – treatments are more complex, more diagnoses are being made, and people are living longer on treatment. It’s become more complex in how it affects people and their families, so Maggie’s is needed just as much, if not more, today.

She added: “For me, working at Maggie’s is a very rewarding job - being able to support people going through cancer and share their experiences. We’re here for friends and family too – we’re here to support anyone going through cancer and treatment and would encourage anyone going through it to just come in.”

Ann-Marie Manson (60) from Kirkcaldy has been visiting Maggie’s for support for breast cancer for the last three years.

She said: “Maggie’s have been a tremendous support to me and my family. I have lobular breast cancer. It’s non-curative but I am on a chemotherapy treatment that aims to stop the cancer feeding and keep it in one place. Treatment is three weeks on, one week off so often I can feel quite nauseous and have terrible fatigue, while other days are not just as bad. “Maggie’s helps me to look forward and make the most of my life with my husband, my three kids and five grandchildren who range from age 18 to our youngest who is aged just 6.

“Cancer can put you in a dark place sometimes, so it’s really helpful for me to come in to Maggie’s to their Living Well With Cancer Group every fortnight.

“Everyone in the group has different kinds of cancer but we’re all on ongoing treatment and in the same boat. It’s wonderful to be able to come along to a safe space and speak freely at the group because we all understand what each other is going through. Maggie’s has also supported me to get a blue badge and disability allowance – things that I would never have thought I was entitled to. They have even supported my husband and my youngest daughter who found it very difficult to accept my diagnosis.

“Each time I visit Maggie’s, I leave feeling better and anyone with cancer could do with a bit of that!”

Last year, Maggie’s Fife engaged with 52% of newly diagnosed people with cancer in Fife. In 2025, 8,992 people accessed activities on the centres’ programme of support and 3,101 people received one-to-one cancer support from a cancer support specialist.

Maggie’s Fife benefits advisor also helped Fife visitors claim £3.9 million in benefits in 2025 - and that is expected to increase to £4.1 million in 2026.

Maggie’s Fife is situated within an iconic, angular building which was designed by architect Dame Zaha Hadid and opened in 2006 - her first commission in the UK. The architect took influences from the original mining community in the Kirkcaldy area and said that was where the idea for the unique, sparkling asphalt-like roof came from.

It was the late architect’s’ intention that the centre sat in direct contrast to the architecture of the Victoria Hospital. The building itself makes particular use of natural light with its quirky triangular windows and offers a warm, domestic environment where people living with cancer and their families can visit for expert cancer support.