Dame Laura Lee DBE: The emotive garden design behind Maggie’s centres - Episode 285

grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends

grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends
Dame Laura Lee DBE: The emotive garden design behind Maggie’s centres - Episode 285
Jul 30, 2026 Episode 285
Sarah Raven

When cancer enters a life, it carries a profound impact on the places in which you seek comfort, which is why the human-centred gardens at Maggie’s centres are so unbelievably important.

In this powerful episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah talks to Dame Laura Lee from Maggie’s, about how beautifully designed, garden-centred spaces are changing the experience of cancer care for patients and their families. 

In this episode, discover:

  • How one simple question sparked the creation of Maggie’s Centres and a new idea of cancer support
  • Why the design of a space can change how it feels to live with cancer
  • What actually happens when someone walks from the hospital into a Maggie’s Centre
  • How Maggie’s supports not only patients but their families and friends through the process
  • The role of gardens and seasons as a gentle way to talk about hope, uncertainty, treatment, and even end of life

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