What Maggie's Centres does

Maggie's Centres is a UK-registered charity (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation; Charity Number SC024414) founded in 1996 by Maggie Keswick Jencks to provide free, non-clinical emotional, psychological, and practical support to people affected by cancer and their families. Operating as a company limited by guarantee with no parent, shareholders, or external owners, Maggie's delivers its services through a physical network of 27 centres across the United Kingdom — co-located within NHS hospital grounds — plus four international centres in Groningen (Netherlands), Hong Kong, Barcelona (Spain, branded Kalida), and Tokyo (Japan). Each centre offers drop-in access (no appointment or referral required) to qualified cancer support specialists (oncology nurses, radiographers), clinical psychologists, benefits advisors, peer support groups, and structured courses and workshops covering stress management, nutrition, exercise, and creative therapies, complemented by a national telephone helpline, online information resources, and virtual courses.

The core product surface is built around the "kitchen table" model: architecturally distinctive, non-clinical environments deliberately designed without reception desks, name badges, uniforms, signs, or clocks, intended to contrast with the hospital setting. There is no proprietary technology platform or AI component; the offering is human-delivered service wrapped around digital content (website, online courses, email newsletter). Revenue is generated entirely through diversified charitable streams — individual donations (recurring and one-off), a Maggie's Weekly Lottery with weekly prizes of up to £25,000, corporate partnerships (Barclays, GSK, Roche UK, Howden, Unum, Sir Robert McAlpine, Scotmid, Eurocell, LVE), grants from charitable trusts and foundations (People's Postcode Lottery, Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation, Walk the Walk, Steve Morgan Foundation, Sir Peter Rigby Charitable Trust, National Garden Scheme), legacy gifts in wills, and a calendar of fundraising events (marathons, Kiltwalk, skydives, coastal and cultural walks).

Maggie's is led by Dame Laura Lee, DBE, who has served as CEO since inception, with reported visitor outcomes of 99% feeling less alone after a visit, 99% rating support as good or excellent, 98% reporting improved stress and anxiety management, and £59.7M in financial benefits claimed with charity support. Distribution is primarily NHS referrals from co-located hospital partnerships, with secondary reach via direct community walk-ins, the national helpline, and digital channels. The stated strategic ambition is to expand to 50% of all major NHS hospitals in the UK by 2027, including first-time entry into the West Midlands via new Coventry and Birmingham centres.

Name

Maggie's Centres

Legal name

The Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centres Trust

Website

https://maggies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Maggie's Centres is a UK charity operating 27 NHS-adjacent centres plus four international sites, providing free, drop-in emotional, psychological and practical cancer support to patients and families through qualified nurses, psychologists and benefits advisors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Outpatient Care Centers (62149)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospital-Integrated Cancer Centers (Acute Oncology Programs) (HLAFAAAM)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Emotional support
• Cancer care centres
• Psychological support
• Nonprofit healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices33 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monthly recurring donations and one-time donations from individuals supporting the charity's mission.
2. Weekly Lottery: Maggie's Weekly Lottery offers participants the chance to win up to £25,000 weekly while supporting the charity.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses including Barclays, Eurocell, Howden, GSK, LVE, Roche UK, Sir Robert McAlpine, Scotmid, and Unum provide funding, volunteering, and fundraising support.
4. Gifts in Wills: Legacy gifts left by supporters in their wills to help ensure the charity's long-term sustainability.
5. Fundraising Events: Revenue from events including marathons, Kiltwalk, skydives, cultural walks, and community fundraising activities.
6. Charitable Trusts and Foundations: Funding from trusts and foundations including The Sir Peter Rigby Charitable Trust, People's Postcode Lottery, Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation, Walk the Walk, Steve Morgan Foundation, and National Garden Scheme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Maggie's Centres operates a network of free cancer support centres located within NHS hospital grounds across the UK and internationally. The centres provide drop-in emotional and practical support, psychological counselling, benefits advice, courses, workshops, and peer support groups to people affected by cancer and their families. All services are delivered free of charge without appointment or referral by qualified professional staff.

Product overview

Maggie's Centres operates a network of 27 free cancer support centres across the UK and internationally, offering a non-clinical, warm and welcoming environment for anyone affected by cancer. The core offering consists of Cancer Support Specialist consultations (with oncology nurses and radiographers), psychology services, and benefits advisory support, supplemented by structured courses and workshops, peer support groups, and comprehensive online information resources. All services are provided free of charge with no appointment or referral needed. The organization also offers multiple fundraising and donation pathways including monthly giving, lottery, and legacy gifts. The company partners with NHS hospitals to embed centres within hospital grounds, currently serving 24 UK centres with expansion plans to reach 50% of major NHS hospitals by 2027.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maggie's Weekly Lottery: A weekly lottery operated by Maggie's where participants can win up to £25,000 every week while supporting people with cancer.

Products and services

• Maggie's Cancer Support Centres
• Cancer Support Specialist Consultations
• Psychology Services
• Benefits Advisory Services
• Courses and Workshops
• Support Groups
• Online Support and Information

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of visitors feel less alone after visiting a centre
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BarclayscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Maggie's through workplace fundraising, volunteering, and charitable donations.
• EurocellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Maggie's fundraising and community initiatives.
• HowdencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFunding partner specifically supporting psychological and practical support services at Maggie's centres.
• GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFunding cancer support services at Maggie's centres.
• LVEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Maggie's.
• Roche UKcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPharmaceutical company funding cancer support services.
• Sir Robert McAlpineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction company supporting Maggie's through fundraising and volunteering.
• ScotmidminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRetail co-operative supporting Maggie's through community fundraising.
• UnumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance provider supporting Maggie's cancer support services.
• National Garden SchememinorGTM or Marketing PartnerGarden opening scheme raising funds for nursing and health charities including Maggie's.
• True North ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction firm partnered with Maggie's Newcastle as 2026 cause of the year, continuing from 2025 partnership. Activities include volunteering, fundraising, and community projects. Previously installed steel planters at Freeman Hospital centre and raised £3,500 via charity golf day.
• Prosper and JTC FurnitureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction and furniture companies participating in 13-mile coastal walk fundraising for Maggie's Newcastle, aiming to raise £3,000 to fund a full day of operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Hospice UK: National umbrella body for UK hospices, providing end-of-life and palliative care including psychosocial support. Adjacent, not directly competitive, but the closest sectoral analogue in terms of non-clinical cancer/palliative support services and NHS co-location.

Regional players

• Cancer Council Australia: Australian peak national cancer charity providing information, support and research funding. Comparable free psychosocial support and helpline services but operating under Australian healthcare system.
• Irish Cancer Society: National cancer charity in Ireland providing information, support services and a helpline. Comparable in offering free psychosocial support and relying on donations, but operating in a different national health system.

Direct peers

• Teenage Cancer Trust: UK charity funding specialist teenage cancer units within NHS hospitals and providing youth-focused psychosocial support. Comparable NHS-hospital-embedded delivery model for a cancer-specific beneficiary segment.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: UK's largest cancer charity providing emotional, practical and financial support to people with cancer. Closest direct peer given overlapping mission, UK geographic focus, NHS-aligned service model and reliance on donations and legacies for funding.
• Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent): UK charity providing practical, emotional and financial support to children and young people with cancer and their families. Direct peer given shared non-clinical psychosocial support model and NHS co-location strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Cancer Research UK: Largest UK cancer charity with a primary research and prevention remit but also funding some patient support services. Broader incumbent with overlapping donor pool and brand presence in UK cancer support.
• American Cancer Society: Large US-based cancer charity combining research funding, patient support services and a 24/7 helpline. Comparable mission of free cancer support services funded through donations, though operating at much larger scale in a different healthcare system.

Emerging players

• Look Good Feel Better UK: UK charity offering free wellbeing sessions for people undergoing cancer treatment, partially overlapping with Maggie's workshops and group programmes. Smaller-scale, more narrowly focused peer.
• Shine Cancer Support: UK charity supporting adults in their 20s-40s with cancer through peer groups and online resources. Comparable peer-support and online-delivery model, but with a narrower demographic focus than Maggie's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MaggiesCentres
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvJ-KTrPOLNKWBaTRJlUM-w
• Facebookfacebook.com/maggiescentres
• Instagraminstagram.com/maggiescentres

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maggie's Centres