An Interview With Sir Robert Ogden, CBE Hon LLD

For more than 50 years, Sir Robert Ogden played an integral role in helping us transform cancer care in Yorkshire. As Macmillan's largest individual donor his vision and commitment enabled thousands of people living with cancer and their families to receive the care and support they needed during some of the most difficult times in their lives.

What first inspired you to become a supporter of Macmillan?

I was impressed by Macmillan's vision to see cancer care and support made available to all and by the rigour with which the charity was driving forward change.

How has cancer care and support changed in the years you have been supporting Macmillan?

In the early 1970s, cancer was seen by many as a death sentence. Information and support were hard to find and there were very few specialist cancer nurses or professionals working in the healthcare system. Today, more people are surviving cancer and living for longer than ever before.

The landscape and nature of cancer care itself has changed considerably, adapting over the past 50 years to meet patients' evolving needs.

But despite the progress made, there is still so much to do. Major advances through science and technology will change the scenery of cancer care. If we harness the collective expertise and tools available to us, to continue delivering the highest standard cancer care in our cancer centres, I am confident the next decades will bring positive transformation beyond our wildest dreams.

When you look back on your time supporting Macmillan, what are you most proud of?

My personal passion has been to support the development of high-quality care and support for people dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Over the years, I have funded three major cancer centres; the first of which was in Leeds and was the first of its kind in Yorkshire, pioneering a new approach that gave people with cancer personalised support in an exceptional and tranquil care environment.

Through the Sir Robert Ogden Charitable Foundation (registered number 1180422) and in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, Lady Ogden and I developed a further two new centres of excellence at Harrogate in 2014 and Northallerton in 2018, providing both financial and building design support. Each of these centres has been designed with the patients' needs in mind and to deliver high quality cancer care.

The Sir Robert Ogden Charitable Foundation will continue my charitable legacy for many generations to come, identifying and developing new cancer centres in areas of most need in Yorkshire and new ways to exceed the expectations on quality treatments and care for people living with cancer and their families.

I take the opportunity to thank the outstanding teams of cancer care professionals who work in these centres - I believe their dedication and competence will leave a lasting legacy of high quality cancer care that will benefit patients for decades to come.

I often receive very touching letters from patients and family members who have been receiving treatment and support at one of the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centres. Sometimes these letters are from people I know, but it's the ones from the people I've never met that make me feel the most humbled. It's a privilege to have people share their personal experiences with me in this way and to know the difference the centres are making to people's lives.

What advice would you give to the next generation of philanthropists?

There is nothing more fulfilling in life than being able to help not only the ones you now or the ones around you, but to be able to help people beyond. Helping others in need, whether that's by dedicating your time or donating funds to a cause you really believe in, brings the most profound happiness in the purest sense. I feel not only humbled and privileged to be able to help others, I feel happily obliged to do so.

Thank you Sir Robert for your exceptional support for Macmillan's work.