Community News - Macmillan Online Community

2020 on the Online Community

Picture from , as part of 2020’s Winter Picture Festival Looking back on this year, life might feel very different now than it did a year ago. One thing hasn’t changed: the Online Community is still here for you as a source of support. Here in the Community team, we are so proud of all of our members for sharing their experiences, and offering support to others. We wanted to reflect on everything that the Online Community has achieved in 2020. Our Community Champions won the Vicky Clement-Jones Award Here in the Community team, our volunteers winning the Vicky Clement-Jones Award was an absolute highlight of 2020. The Vicky Clement-Jones Award is for individuals or groups who use their own cancer experiences to improve the lives of other people affected by cancer. We’re sure you’ll agree…

Eliza -Online Community Team
A day in the life of...an Online Community officer

When looking round the Community recently you may have noticed a new ‘chat with us’ button appearing when looking at our ‘Ask an Expert’ section or our ‘ Help pages ’. This is our new Webchat feature and we are really pleased to let you know that the Community team will now be available to live chat with Community users Monday – Friday 9am-5pm to help answer your technical questions. For more information about webchat and how it works, please click here to read our recent blog. We thought, therefore, that it would be great to start a new Community News blog series showing you the faces behind webchat. We have started our ‘A day in the life of...' blog today with Community team member Rachel, who is here to tell you a bit more about what she does day to day to help support those affected by…

Former Member
In Conversation With Macmillan

If you’ve visited the Macmillan Instagram , Facebook or YouTube channels recently, you may have seen this amazing video, 'In Conversation with Macmillan', which you can watch again by clicking on the video below. https://youtu.be/0TP0Hpyiq5Y The video includes personal experiences of living with cancer through lockdown, covers some of the most frequently asked questions about the emotional and physical effects of cancer, and explains how Macmillan can help you through these difficult times. In the opening section, Macmillan host Terri, chats to Mandy, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, about her experience of living with cancer and how she’s coped with the pandemic. “At times when I just can’t sleep and I want to reach out and I want to talk to someone, I’d use the Online Community…

Steph - Online Community Team
Not everyone can see your pictures

Thursday 3 rd December marks the International Day of People with Disabilities, or International Day of Disabled Persons. Not everyone might know that as part of the Equality Act in 2010, anyone with a cancer diagnosis can choose to identify as having a disability. However, it’s important to remember that people can be affected by cancer, and other disabilities, in very different ways. The theme for 2020’s International Day of People with Disabilities, is “not all disabilities are visible.” Of course, this is especially true on the Online Community. Here on the site, you can anonymously talk to people from all over the UK and internationally. While you might come to know quite a lot about someone else’s cancer experience, you might not always know how they might be affected by a disability…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Transgender awareness week

Friday 13 th November to Friday 20 th November is Transgender awareness week. To support this, we wanted to make our members aware of our LGBT+ forum . Should you need support for living with a cancer diagnosis and identifying as Transgender, this is a safe place for you to access support. It is a place for you to speak to others who may have had a similar experience and who can understand how you may be feeling. What does Transgender mean? Transgender is a term to refer to all people who do not identify as their assigned gender at birth/and or the binary male/female gender system. Assigned Gender is the gender a person is given at birth and what gets written on their birth certificate when they are a baby. Gender identity is a personal concept of oneself as either male, female, both…

Megan- Online Community Team
Bereavement Support in the Online Community

On this day of remembrance across the UK, we’re talking about bereavement support in this Community News blog. We understand that the death of someone close to you isn’t something you ‘get over’. It’s something you attempt to come to terms with. The Community can be a comforting place to share your feelings and get bereavement support from people who understand. “I just don't know how to shake this feeling, it’s been a year and it feels raw now, it didn't feel that way last year I think I was just in shock, but I can't help but feel so lost without her.” - Mario189, bereaved family and friends group. Learning to live with your grief can mean so many different things to different people. There’s no set period of time in which you should expect to ‘feel better’. “No one knows how…

Steph - Online Community Team
The Community team are now available on webchat!

When looking round the Community recently you may have noticed a new ‘ Chat with us’ button appearing when looking at our ‘ Ask an Expert ’ pages or our ‘ Help section’ . This is Macmillan’s webchat feature and we are pleased to announce that the Community team are now available for you to live chat with for technical support Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm. What is webchat? Webchat is a service that has been available on Macmillan’s main website for a number of years. It is now available directly on the Community as well. Webchat allows anyone to connect with a member of our Macmillan specialist teams online and live chat with them for help and support. This means that you can message one of our specialists directly and receive live support from them as they answer your questions, or help…

Former Member
Cancer & me 35 years on - Vol 6 - The Abdominoperineal Resection with Colostomy

Today in our Community News blog Willo is back with the sixth instalment of her guest blog series called ‘Cancer & me 35 years on’ . In this series, Willo, known on the Community as patsyann85 , tells us about her experience of being diagnosed with Anal cancer in 1986 while living in Zambia. We will be sharing more of Willo’s writing and incredible artwork throughout the next few months in the Community News . If you missed Vol 5 – ‘Jolly hockey sticks’ you can click here to catch up. I returned to Zambia, still working furiously (as I said previously, being faced with your own mortality really spurs you on) and everything was going smoothly until 18 months later when during a regular check-up my doctor (George again) felt something higher in the rectum. I could feel him flicking his finger…

Former Member
Discover the Travel Insurance forum

Going anywhere nice? Planning a holiday can be an exciting task. It can also be very complicated. After picking a destination, you need to decide on travel arrangements. Then there’s the matter of booking the perfect accommodation. Prices. Dates. There’s lots to consider. As with any holiday, it is also essential to purchase some insurance in case something goes wrong. Many travel and holiday websites make this step surprisingly easy, offering some appropriate cover during the booking process. Unfortunately, when you need to buy a policy that will cover someone living with a cancer diagnosis, things can get complicated. Many mainstream insurers have a long list of exclusions that mean your specific circumstances won’t be covered. Even if they will provide cover, the cost of the necessary…

Matthew - Online Community Team
World Cancer Day 2026

World cancer day image: Alt text- Green and white graphic reading “World Cancer Day” with an illustrated green globe forming the letter “O” in “World.” Below, the date “4th February” is displayed, representing global awareness and solidarity for cancer care. On World Cancer Day, Macmillan stands in solidarity with the millions of people affected by cancer and welcomes the Government’s new National Cancer Plan for England. By raising awareness and calling for better care across the UK, we’re supporting a future where everyone gets the help they need, when they need it most. No one should have to face cancer feeling lost or alone. At least every 75 seconds, someone’s life changes with a cancer diagnosis in the UK. That is almost 1,200 people across the UK on average are diagnosed with cancer…

Megan- Online Community Team
Mike and Steve talk about the Online Community

Steph - Online Community Team
Celebrating National Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist Day: Here for You When It Matters Most

National Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Day is on the 16 th March. The occasion shines a spotlight on the dedication, expertise and care that cancer nurses bring to supporting patients across the UK each and every day. From the moment of diagnosis and throughout treatment and recovery, Clinical Nurse Specialists are there to provide information, support and a familiar, trusted point of contact. Their knowledge, compassion and dedication help people feel less alone as they navigate life with cancer. They provide expert care, help coordinate personalised treatment and support, while also recognising the challenges that can come with a cancer diagnosis. “My nurse was amazing with rearranging appointments and keeping me up to date. I never got lost in the system. Having one point of…

Wayne - Online Community Team