Max Clifford on the Royal Marsden, Muhammad Ali and Prince William and Kate

Originally published in Surrey Life magazine January 2012

Elmbridge resident Max Clifford's monthly Surrey Life column gives us an insight into his busy life in the county and beyond...

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It was more than 20 years ago that I took Muhammad Ali to the Royal Marsden in Sutton for a visit that made a lasting impression on patients, staff and many others, including the great man himself.

It’s a wonderful place that has played a vital role in the huge progress made in the successful diagnosis and treatment of children with cancer here in this country.

In the 40 years or so since I first got involved in supporting this hospital, I’ve been increasingly aware of the Royal Marsden’s dream of creating Europe’s most advanced centre for children and young people with cancer.

Well, that dream has now become a reality and I was invited to pay an official visit to the centre for a guided tour in December.

The Oak Centre, as it has been named, was officially opened by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently and is a joy to behold.

The new centre is one of the largest of its kind in Europe: it has 31 beds and will see almost 600 inpatients and more than 5,000 day patients every year.

The brand new facilities, together with state of the art technology, create increased capacity to help with growing demand and provide an environment for young patients that meets all their health, educational and social needs.

The centre also houses a world-leading drug development programme, ensuring young patients benefit from new cancer treatments and drugs that have been developed in the hospital’s laboratories.

During their visit, Prince William and Kate spent more than two hours speaking to patients and staff inside the centre.

In his speech, before he and the Duchess officially unveiled the plaque, Prince William said he was honoured to open the new centre and was delighted to see the final results.

Funding for the £18 million facility was generously raised by the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, with a contribution of £10 million from the Oak Foundation and £3.5 million from the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“This place is inspirational,” said Prince William to fund-raising donors. “As president of the Royal Marsden, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making the idea of this magnificent new centre become a reality.”

As someone who has been closely involved and a regular visitor to the Royal Marsden in Sutton for a very long  time, I can only echo these words and congratulate everyone who has contributed to the creation of this superb new centre.

• For more information or to make a donation, visit www.royalmarsden.org.

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