A BRAND new scheme is being unveiled this October at Maggie’s Cancer Care and visitors to the Oldham centre will now be able to get an hour of free advice on future planning.
The aim is to give assurance and help on all aspects of planning a financial future to cancer patients.
Visitors to the centre will be able to make an appointment this October to have an hour long session with a qualified legal adviser.
“Basically people can come with their friends, families or loved ones and have a cup of coffee and a chat about their financial future with experts,” said Trish Morgan, Maggie’s Centre Head.
“It’s a way of getting peace of mind and control over one aspect of their lives.”
The aim is to enhance the already successful wills and benefits clinics run at the centre.
The new service is being provided by Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers, who nominated Maggie’s as their charity of the year 2020.
“Our aim here is to provide a holistic service for visitors to Maggie’s and their loved ones. It’s a real wrap around plan to help people relax and know that whatever happens they and their families are taken care of,” said solicitor Joanne Jones, head of Private Client care at Pearson.
“It’s about making sure you futureproof your loved ones, it about more than making a will, it’s about inheritance planning, estate planning, trusts, lasting powers of attorney, care home discussions and much more, we will just be there to listen and advise,” she added.
Zoe Johnson, who also works with Joanne, has personal experience of the effects cancer can have on a family and was keen to help out and will also be running some sessions.
She said: “Maggie’s is an inspirational place and it’s an honour to be involved.
“As our charity of the year we have been unable to really get stuck in and physically help in the centre due to coronavirus.
“However, now as more people are visiting we felt the time was right to give some much needed advice.
“Cancer can have a devastating effect on families and I really want to be able to sit down with people and reassure them that a few simple planning options might be available to them that make all the difference.”
Centre Head Trish added: “We’re hugely grateful to the team at Pearson for so generously offering their time and expertise to support our visitors in this way.
“We know it will be so appreciated and make the biggest difference to the people that walk through our doors here each day.”
The new service starts on October 28 and anyone visiting Maggie’s Oldham can make an appointment.
For more information, or to make an appointment, contact the centre on 0161 989 0550 or email: oldham@maggiescentres.org