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Macmillan Cancer Support Southport takes a look back at 2022

This year the centre finally got back to normal after the pandemic

Penny Coleman

InYourArea Community, Penny Coleman

— 3 min read
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Macmillan Cancer Support Southport takes a look back at 2022

CHRISTMAS TIME: The centre will open over the festive period except for the Bank Holidays

From the Southport Macmillan Centre team

Once again Christmas has suddenly appeared on the horizon and it’s a time to look back and reflect on what’s happened over the last year.

For the centre, it’s been a time of change with not one but three new members of staff joining us.

Tanya (centre manager) has also moved on to a fabulous new job working with the Cancer Alliance and everyone at the centre wishes her every success for the future. We’ve a lovely new manager in place so we’ll introduce you to her next month!

2022 has seen the centre finally get back to normal with our drop-in service open for business and our support groups were welcomed back into the centre with open arms and gallons of tea and coffee. We’ve had a really successful World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, raising over £1,700, and our first face-to-face Health & Wellbeing event since before lockdown in a fantastic new venue - Southport College. As soon as the team are back to work in January, we’ll be thinking about our plan of action for 2023…exciting times ahead.

But back to Christmas, which for many people is a favourite time of year when families and friends meet up to enjoy time together. It’s a season which seems to start earlier each year, when the shops are awash with mountains of tempting foods and stacked with gifts that ‘are just perfect for that special person’. But many people simply don’t look forward to Christmas, maybe they or a loved one have had bad news, or they’ve lost someone close to them.

Maybe the additional costs of caring for a loved one mean that they haven’t the money to heat their homes or put food on the table - these are things that affect people every year, but the cost of living crisis now is making things worse than ever. And another problem is loneliness and isolation as there are so many people who sit in their homes every day without ever seeing anyone. So, what can we do to help?  Maybe, instead of giving gifts and buying expensive food we could just give a little of our time to someone because even if our words can’t change things, we could sit a while and share happier memories. Just a little conversation can make even the darkest day a little brighter, so if you know anyone who needs a little human contact, why not reach out to them - and do you know what? You’ll feel better too.

Over the Christmas holiday, Southport Macmillan Centre will be open as normal, apart from Bank Holidays. We’re based at 29 Wright Street, Southport, and are open from 10am to 4pm - we’re also happy to provide telephone support so if you’re not able to get here in person, just give us a call on 01704 533024. The Macmillan Support Line will be open every day over Christmas so you can also contact them free on 0808 808 0000 or online at www.macmillan.org.uk

The centre staff, directors and volunteers would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful Christmas and hopeful New Year.

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