Community News - Macmillan Online Community

International Volunteer Day - Julia's story

Today marks International Volunteer Day , and to recognise this Julia, who’s volunteered for Macmillan since 2011, has shared with us a little about her story, and the affect volunteering's had on her life following her cancer diagnosis. A year in the life of… I can’t believe another year has passed so quickly! Volunteering for Macmillan has been in sharp focus this year and yet again, it has been wonderful, scary at times and so very worthwhile. I started volunteering for Macmillan in 2011, as soon as I was able to return to some sort of ‘normal’ after surgery and chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. My inspiration to do this was my Macmillan nurse who introduced me to sitting in front of the camera for a film to promote Macmillan's Coffee Morning and I haven’t looked back since. You can…

Former Member
Cybersecurity: Staying safe on the Community and beyond

Ever since the pandemic, the average number of people using the internet and being present online has increased significantly. Ofcom reported that on average, a person was online for more than 4 hours every day. Naturally, the number of cyberattacks have also increased. The BBC reported that there were around 6,000 fraud and scam cases related to the pandemic in general. It meant that there were more numbers online than before. As we’re trying to come back into some form of a normal routine, it’s important to make sure you’re aware of the risks that being online may entail and what you can do to protect yourself online. As the new year dawns on us in January, in this blog, we take a dive to see how you can help to protect yourself online on the Community and beyond to try and ensure you…

Syed - Macmillan
Black History Month – Support and Solidarity on the Online Community

October is Black History Month in the UK, which has been celebrated nationwide for over 30 years. The theme for this year is ‘Reclaiming narratives’, which is around sharing and recognising the contributions of Black individuals and their stories. As part of recognising and celebrating Black History Month, today we are sharing available support and Black people living with cancer who have shared their story on the Online Community. We’re also sharing reflections on Black History Month from Francesca Okosi, Macmillan’s Chief People & Culture Officer. The first Black History Month in the UK took place in 1987 and was arranged by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, who came to the UK from Ghana as a refugee in 1984. 1987 marked the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean. Black History…

Eliza -Online Community Team
An update to our Online Community email notifications

Hi everyone, We just wanted to let you know about a change to the way our email notifications work. Previously, if you opted to receive email notifications about new posts or Private Messages, a preview of the content would be included in the email. In order to comply with the UK's new Online Safety Act , our website has now been updated to remove message preview content from all notification emails. Although this does mean you will need to check the Online Community directly in order to read the actual contents of new messages or thread replies, it also means users are protected from receiving copies of potentially upsetting posts which may have been subsequently removed from public view. We hope you can appreciate the reasons behind why had to update the way notification emails work. If…

Moderator - Macmillan Community
Thyroid cancer on the Community

As we welcome September, we enter Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month. This blog highlights the practical and emotional effects thyroid cancer can have on your life. As in all our forums, our Thyroid Cancer forum has members who come together to share their experiences and support one another through every step of their journeys. Whatever your experience may be, this forum is a safe space where you can connect with others who may truly understand what you're going through. So join us on the Community as we read this blog to catch up with some of the recent discussions in our Thyroid cancer forum. Remember, if you have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer or supporting someone living with thyroid cancer, we hope this blog can be a helpful overview of the support you can find in the Thyroid cancer…

Syed - Macmillan
Everyone has a Story to Tell

January 30 th to February 6 th is national storytelling week. In today’s Community News Blog we’re talking about the power of healthy distractions. There’s nothing quite like getting lost in a good book or a great film. We widen the conversation here though to talk about anything that can help us feel better, by distracting us for a while. We also take some time to acknowledge more of your stories by highlighting the Macmillan Digital Story Telling Project which is online workshops hosted by Macmillan to help people share their story. In difficult times distraction can be a useful companion. While we often acknowledge the importance of being mindful and living in the present, healthy distractions can help to give us that mental breather we all need from time to time. What’s your favourite…

Tom C - Online Community team
World Hello Day

Today, November 21 st , is World Hello Day – a day to promote peace, bridge barriers and make a difference to someone’s day through a simple ‘hello’. To recognise the World Hello Day, I thought it’d be a great idea to put a Macmillan spin on the day by sharing a couple of soundbites and pieces of feedback for the Community that illustrate how a simple greeting and the friendliness of one user to another – someone they’ve never met before, can have a huge impact on someones life and really help them with whatever difficulties they might be facing. So sit back, take a pew and enjoy – and if you’ve had any similar experiences on the Community, go ahead and share them in the comments below. “I am so proud of how far we have all come. It was difficult to see the light at the beginning but we…

Former Member
Diagnosed as a younger adult - support from the Online Community

In our recent blog ' Getting cancer at our age is such a shock - supporting adults in their 20's, 30's and 40's on the Online Community' we discussed how b eing diagnosed as a younger adult might mean you are more likely to need support with issues around relationships, fertility, family, money and work. In the first of the two part blog, we shared experiences related to fertility and family, with a focus on children and other dependants. In this second part of the blog, we are highlighting conversations on relationships, career and finances. Although many of these issues do affect people living with cancer at any age, this short blog series focuses on the experiences of members who have been diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 20-50. Many people describe finding it difficult to…

Steph - Online Community Team
"How my world changed overnight - thanks to you, Paddy."

S aturday, October 20th marked the start of International Brain Tumour Awareness Week , and to recognise this, Paula, one of our brilliant Online Community users, has agreed to share her story and experience. Well, where to begin ... I’m single, 46 years old, and in February 2018 I saw my GP who thankfully, due to his quick thinking and concern SAVED MY LIFE! He rushed me into hospital where within 4 hours I was told I had a brain tumour, suspected to be malignant. I was immediately referred to Kings Hospital in London and rushed in to meet my surgeon who advised the tumour would be removed March 7 th (I couldn’t be beforehand as there was too much swelling in my brain – they did confirm I have one, so I should be grateful for the small mercies I guess! I remained within Medway Oncology…

Former Member
New Autumn/Winter 2026 Dates - Local Cancer Community Meet-ups

As early autumn and winter approach, we're delighted to announce a fresh round of face-to-face meet-ups in more cities than ever. If you're near any of the following locations, read on: Birmingham Bristol Colchester Dagenham Glasgow Lincoln Manchester Preston Rochester Sheffield Swindon Watford Westwood Cross (near Margate) Wolverhampton As always, these in-person events intend to build supportive communities of people local to the areas they're hosted in. To avoid confusing them with our Online Community, we refer to these events as 'Local Cancer Community Meet-ups' in this blog. If you would like to discuss attending this event with other members of the Online Community, please don't forget that our Community Guidelines still apply. The Private Messaging…

Matthew - Online Community Team
Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Living with cancer as a neurodivergent person

This week is Neurodiversity Celebration Week, so we wanted to take a moment to talk about the experience of living with cancer as a neurodivergent person. We've done a bit of research and looked at different experiences people have of living with cancer and being neurodivergent. Below are some of the challenges that can come up, along with a few tips we’ve come across that some people have found helpful. Everyone’s experience will be different, so if you are neurodivergent and living with cancer, we would love to hear from you. Reply to this blog to share your experiences, which may help others who are going through the same challenges. Receiving and processing a diagnosis Being told you have cancer can feel overwhelming for anyone. Neurodivergent people may process this news in different…

Moderator - Macmillan Community
Winter Picture Festival 2024

You may remember our Winter Picture Festival , where many of you have shared what winter looks like for you. Across the site, we know many of our members love sharing pictures from their walks, crafts, pets and paintings. The Winter Picture Festival is a celebration of your creativity, and an opportunity to bring joy to yourself and other members here on the Online Community. This year, we’ve decided to host another Winter Picture Festival! To join in with the Winter Picture Festival, all you need to do is upload a picture in the "Winter Picture Festival" discussion thread . We’ve set up a discussion thread in the “Express Yourself” forum . We’d love to see everyone getting involved using the “Reaction” buttons to let other members know you liked their picture! It would be lovely see…

Eliza -Online Community Team