A NEW £5m cancer support centre set to be built in Southampton has got off to a ground-breaking start.

Southampton mayor, Councillor Stephen Barnes-Andrews, dug into the land at Southampton General Hospital to mark the beginning of construction of the new Maggie’s Centre on World Cancer Day.

Maggie’s is a national charity which provides practical, emotional and social support for people with cancer, their families and friends.

Maggie’s Centres are places with professional staff on hand to offer support.

The Southampton centre is to be built next to the oncology department and will complement the cancer treatments and research taking place at the hospital.

Cllr Barnes-Andrews said: “This centre will not only enhance the reputation of this city but it will be a caring facility and will help many people cope with cancer.”

Gemma McKnight, Maggie’s Southampton centre fundraising manager, said: “Our centres are places in which to find practical advice, where qualified experts provide emotional support, to meet other people or somewhere where you can simply sit quietly with a cup of tea.”

The oncology unit at the hospital annually sees 5,000 people newly diagnosed with cancer and provides specialist services to a population of around 3.2 million people across Hampshire, south Wiltshire, Dorset, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight and parts of West Sussex.

Dr Carol Davis, lead consultant in palliative medicine at Southampton General Hospital, said: “It will be fantastic to have a Maggie’s Centre within the hospital grounds.

“I’m particularly excited about the support that Maggie’s can give to patients and families facing complex decisions about treatment and care.”

The centre is set to open next year and Maggie’s is calling on local fundraisers and donors to help raise funds to cover the cost of its running, with £140,000 donated by the Barker-Mill Foundation (BMF).

To donate visit www.maggiescentres.org/our-centres/maggies-southampton/.