About us

A home away from home

Margaret Stewart House provides a place to stay for out-of-town patients having cancer treatment at the Wellington Blood and Cancer Centre. The house is located in the grounds of Wellington Regional Hospital in Newtown, Wellington. Our accommodation facility relies on the generosity of volunteers and community support to host thousands of patients and families each year.

Grant & Cathy

When Grant found out that his partner Cathy would be receiving four months of cancer treatment in Wellington, it added another element of stress for the New Plymouth couple.

“When we were referred to Margaret Stewart House, we were anxious about what the living situation would be like, but I actually found it to be a type of therapy for me. Being able to interact with people who were all going through the same thing meant we could encourage each other and connect through shared experiences.”

Everyone adds their own piece to the community at MSH - Grant even decided to grow a tomato from seeds that were gifted to him by another couple in the treatment ward.

“The staff are very accommodating; they give people the room and the opportunity to be themselves and breathe. For me, the plant is a piece of home. It’s a piece of normality in a place where people are going through an incredibly difficult time, a welcomed distraction – and a great talking point too.”

“The generosity of the volunteers here has made this experience easier. Not having to worry about payments or where we are staying has meant we can focus on the task at hand. We are incredibly thankful for the Cancer Society and for the work they do to maintain Margaret Stewart House – it makes all the difference.”

"I have lost my mother and my husband to cancer. During my husband’s bone marrow transplant, Margaret Stewart House allowed me to be able to be close so I could support him through the six months that procedure took and also our young sons could spend weekends visiting their father. Being able to be there with a loved one going through cancer treatment is so important for the patient and their support people."

"I was diagnosed with stage two cancer, after my operation I had to receive 27 days radiation. Thankfully I was able to stay in Margaret Stewart house which made travel from Masterton to Wellington much more manageable."

"In 2000 I went through a Cancer journey and coming from the Wairarapa, being able to stay at Margaret Stewart House was a game changer and made treatment manageable".

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Margaret Stewart

Margaret Stewart was a major influence behind the building that now bears her name. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, she left the bulk of her estate to Cancer Society Wellington. Her bequest made up a significant part of the funding for the $2.15 million project. Born Margaret Broscombe in Yorkshire, England, on 21 August 1922, Margaret had her first close encounter with cancer in 1978 when her husband Peter was diagnosed with the disease. That same year, Margaret retired from her role as Patient Properties Officer at Wellington Hospital. While in that role, Margaret resided at the Wellington Hospital Nurses’ Home. The home overlooked the tennis courts that are now the site of Margaret Stewart House. Margaret had no direct input into the plans for ‘her house’ as she called it during the last months of her life. She died on 13 February 1996.

All people, every cancer.

Margaret Stewart House is run by the Cancer Society Wellington located down the road at 52 Riddiford Street. The Cancer Society provides free supportive care services for individuals and families facing cancer such as counselling, support groups, transport to treatment financial assistance and much more.

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