Enough cash to run Maggie’s for a week
Witches Craig Caravan Park praised over fundraising
A Stirling caravan park has donated enough to the new Maggie’s Forth Valley to fund the centre for an entire week.
Veda Dewar, who runs Witches Craig Caravan Park in Blairlogie, lost her mum to cancer four years ago last Tuesday, April 18.
But this year the day was also memorable for a more positive reason as Veda was presented with a thank you certificate from Maggie’s volunteer Suzanne MacCrimmon for raising £12,000 - a week’s funding for the centre.
Stomach cancer claimed the life of Veda’s mum, Veda Stephen, in 2013 after five months of intense chemotherapy. Just weeks later her dad had an operation to remove a cancerous tumour in his bowel. She has also lost several friends to cancer and knows others going through treatment.
Veda has been fundraising for Maggie’s Forth Valley in memory of her mum since 2014.
She said: “I chose Maggie’s out of appreciation for the Maggie’s Centre at the Beatson in Glasgow. While my mum was receiving her chemotherapy dad would spend the day in the Maggie’s Centre. I wanted to make people aware that family and friends require support just as much as the cancer patient. I was delighted a new Maggie’s was being built at Forth Valley.
“My mum was on an emotional and physical rollercoaster through her illness but each day she made the most of what she could, just as Maggie Keswick believed that people should not ‘lose the joy of living in the fear of dying’. I hope many other people who are not as brave and strong as my mum get the practical, emotional and social support they and their family need at such a difficult time at Maggie’s Forth Valley.”
Liz MacMillan, Centre Head at Maggie’s Forth Valley, said: “We are so grateful that Witches Craig is ‘paying for a week’ at Maggie’s Forth Valley. We rely entirely on voluntary donations to allow us to keep on developing our unique programme of support for people living with cancer and to be able to offer that support to everyone who needs it.
“Everyone at Maggie’s is hugely thankful to Veda, and her family and friends who all helped reach this amazing total, for choosing to support us.”
Built in the grounds of Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Maggie’s Forth Valley supports people living with cancer and their family and friends.
Qualified professionals are also on hand to offer an evidence-based core programme of support shown to improve physical and emotional wellbeing.
Visit the centre in the FVRH grounds at The Nina Barough Building, Stirling Road, Larbert, FK5 4WR or call 01324 868069.