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The Duchess hosts a reception for the Women's Institute and Maggie's at her Welsh home

24th June 2009

The Duchess of Cornwall invited members of the Women’s Institute to Their Royal Highnesses’ Welsh Home to see how they might help one of her patronage charities today.

The Duchess is President of Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres and is a member of the Tetbury Women’s Institute (WI), near Their Royal Highnesses’ Highgrove home.

She invited members of the WI to join her at Llwynywermod in Myddfai, near Llandovery, to discuss how they might use their legendary fundraising prowess to help Maggie’s care for more people with cancer.

The all-female gathering saw members of the Myddfai and Carmarthenshire WI mingle with charity workers and users of the Maggie's centres.

The centres provide a programme of emotional and psychological support and practical advice, free of charge, to cancer sufferers.

Since the first centre of its kind was opened in Edinburgh in 1996, there are now five in Scotland, six in England and one in Wales.

Each centre is situated within the grounds of a hospital, close to cancer treatment facilities and is designed by an architect to be as uplifting a space as possible.

Singleton Hospital, in Swansea, South Wales, has one of three interim facilities in the UK which will eventually become fully-fledged centres once funding is in place.

The Welsh Assembly has already given the Swansea centre £1.5 million to get going and campaigners have to match that to ensure a centre is built and can cover its running costs for the first two years.

The Duchess spoke to the gathering of up to 50 people and said: "I would just like to say how thrilled I am that you could all come today."

"We thought it would be a good idea to get the WI and Maggie's together because we know how ladies talk.

"We thought that it would be a very good start in Wales if we could get you all here. Maggie's is a fantastic charity."

Among the guests today were three cancer sufferers who all use the Maggie's Interim Centre in Swansea.

Caroline Shepherd, Carole George, and Jean Page, all from Swansea, all had nothing but praise for the centre.

"When you turn up at Maggie's, it is as if you are walking into your friend's house," said Mrs Shepherd.

"The first thing you can do is walk in and put on the kettle and say hello to everyone - it is like a home from home."

She said when diagnosed with cancer, many have support from family and friends, but try to be brave around them.

"At Maggie's, you can relax and speak about things you wouldn't say to anyone else."

Mrs George added: "It is a very, very warm and friendly place where you can meet people in a similar situation to yourself.

"We have fun as well because cancer is about living as well as dying."

Mrs Page has taken up Tai Chi at the centre, which she now uses as a relaxation technique in general.

"When you are diagnosed with cancer, you start on a learning curve," she said.

"It is a ‘slow down and look at the flowers’ situation. Count your blessings."

She added: "But I have always had a positive outlook and am a bit laid-back. I am a ‘glass half-full’ person."

Carroll Nunnery, Chairwoman of Myddfai WI, said: "The idea today is to mingle, make friends and see where it goes from there.

"We are getting into a dialogue.

"Her Royal Highness is so good at mixing the right ingredients to get a good result."