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What we do
Our 6 objectives are...
Everyone with cancer will know that they can turn to Macmillan, and how we can help them from the moment they are diagnosed.
We're famous for our amazing Macmillan nurses, but many people living with cancer, doctors, nurses or healthcare professionals don't know how we can help them at different stages of a cancer experience. We want to make sure they're all aware of the vital information and support we can offer.
We want everyone to have a conversation about all their needs and concerns, and get the support that's right for them.
Making sense of the different support out there can be confusing, disorientating and sometimes impossible. Beyond the healthcare support in the hospital, thousands of people have no one to talk to about what they need or who can help. We think everyone should have the opportunity to talk about their needs, whenever and wherever.
We want everyone to have their vital needs met by high quality services.
Right now, thousands of people are having to cope without the right support. We know that different people need different types of support at different times in their cancer experience. Cancer affects much more than someone’s health, especially from financial, practical and emotional concerns, if cancer is treatable but not curable, and at the end of life. We have so much to offer when it comes to supporting people.
We want to inspire more people to give to Macmillan so we can continue to be there for people when they need us most.
We are 98% funded by voluntary donations and 75% of our income comes from people who have had a positive experience of Macmillan, and we don't want to take this for granted. We need to innovate new ways to generate income beyond traditional fundraising. We need to adapt and stay ahead by listening and responding to what our supporters want and expect from us for years to come.
Work as efficiently and effectively as possible.
We take our responsibility to our people seriously and know that there is always more we can do to improve how we work so that people with cancer receive the best support from us every time.
We will reflect and represent the communities we serve in everything we do to support everyone living with cancer.
Cancer doesn't discriminate - and neither can we. For us to reach everyone that is diagnosed with cancer it's essential that they feel seen, heard and understood as individuals by Macmillan, and that they see themselves in Macmillan. Regardless of who they are or their background.
Our EDI pillars
We’re committed to making Macmillan more equitable, diverse and inclusive. To achieve this, in 2021 we launched our new equity, diversity and inclusion strategy focusing on:
Developing our leadership and culture
We want to make sure we are representative at all levels of the organisation and all our colleagues and volunteers feel they belong at Macmillan. To make sure everyone understands the importance of this, our equity, diversity and inclusion training module is now part of our compulsory training for all staff.
Improving our services and advocacy
People living with cancer from all backgrounds should feel cancer services are accessible and inclusive. As one of the UKs biggest charities, we have the resources to help historically excluded groups and individuals access the cancer support they need. And we can benefit from their knowledge and relationships to improve our services and support for everyone. We have more information about our partnerships on this page.
We offer services in multiple languages, for example a translation service for our Macmillan Support Line, and our Telephone Buddies service in 28 different languages (this can vary based on volunteer availability).
Improving how we look and communicate
Our fundraising, marketing and innovation must be representative and inclusive. We've worked with the inclusion agency The Unmistakeables to make sure our fundraising and marketing materials are a true reflection of the diversity of modern Britain.