Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Who do I ask? - How to find Trusted Cancer Information

Where to Get Trusted Cancer Information When you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, finding accurate and reliable information is crucial. With so many sources available, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and potentially come across misleading information. Here on the Community, we want to help you find trustworthy information that may guide you through your time of need. Getting accurate information about cancer can help you make informed decisions about your treatment and care. It can also provide reassurance and may help you feel more in control. But with the internet filled with so much information, how do you know what you can trust? Look for the Trusted Information Creator Tick One way to ensure that you're getting reliable information is to look for the Trusted Information…

Syed - Macmillan
Bring your spring- Spring picture festival 2026

Today is the official start of spring, known as the spring equinox. It’s lovely to see colourful flowers bloom, sunshine, and wildlife after what feels like a very long winter. Across the site, we know many of our members love sharing their artwork, crafts, gardening, and pictures of beautiful walks. We want to celebrate your creativity and bring Spring to the Online Community. We're hosting our Spring Picture Festival- Bring your spring . To join in with the Spring Picture Festival, all you need to do is upload a picture in the "Spring Picture Festival" discussion thread. We’ve set up a discussion thread in the “Express Yourself” forum . We're hoping to gather a collection of your pictures and experiences in one discussion thread for everyone to look through and enjoy. We'll then be…

Megan- Online Community Team
Coffee Morning with Macmillan's Online Community

September marks Coffee Morning month! While Macmillan’s official Coffee Morning date is 25 of September, you can take part anytime. It’s a chance to come together, share a cuppa and start talking. Here at the O nline C ommunity, we know how important those conversations can be. By sharing experience s, advice and support, members help one another feel listened to and less alone. In this blog, we’ll hear from members about the connections they’ve made and support they’ve received. We’ll show you how you can join conversation s in our forums and find your nearest Coffee Morning. Grab a cuppa and let’s celebrate coming together. Feeling less alone Many members of our community have found comfort and support through our forums. For some it may be the first time they’ve felt able to open up…

Lizzie - Online Community Team
UPDATED: Online Community downtime - Monday 5th December

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to re-schedule our update for next Monday, 5th December. This means that the Community will be up and running as usual tomorrow. The site will be inaccessible between 1pm-7pm on Monday 5th December. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and if you have any questions, please do post in the comments section below. As users of our Online Community, we want to update you with some key information about some upcoming essential maintenance. On Monday 5th December we will be updating our Community to the latest version of the software we use to provide the platform. We’re doing this to ensure the site continues to run smoothly for our users. The update will also fix some technical issues, which we’ve talked about below. In order…

Ellen - Macmillan
Improvements to the Online Community search function

Finding the right support The Online Community is packed full of useful information and relatable experiences. Over the years, tens of thousands of members have shared their thoughts, worries, and words of comfort with each other. With such a large amount of support content available, finding the discussions most relevant to you requires the use of a powerful search function. Starting a new search On every page of the Online Community, in the top-left corner you will see the ‘Search’ button depicted by a magnifying glass icon. Tap on the search button to enter search mode. Tap inside the search box and type in a term you’d like to search the Online Community for. Tap the magnifying glass button to begin the search. Filtering results After tapping Search, you will find yourself…

Matthew - Online Community Team
Share your summer

There are lots of conversations about cancer in the forums, but sometimes you may feel the need for some light relief from talking about appointments, treatment and the emotional effects of cancer. Signs of summer are around us at the moment, and we have created a space for you to share your summer activities and plans. We have set up the Share your summer discussion thread in the Express Yourself forum. This discussion thread is similar to the ‘Bring your Spring’ space, but with a summer twist. We'd love to see what summer looks like for you. Whether it's colourful flowers in bloom, a favourite walk, a day out, your garden, pets enjoying the sunshine, artwork, crafts, photography, or simply something that captures the feeling of the season, we'd love for you to share it with the Community…

Megan- Online Community Team
Movember - "I think it was being able to tell her how I was feeling ... that gave me great comfort."

It’s November, which also means it’s Movember – that time of the year when gents all over the world commit to growing luxurious and stylish upper lip ‘jackets’ (or ‘moustaches’) to raise awareness and funds for various men’s health issues. We’re lucky enough this month to have Rob, one of our wonderful Online Community members, share his experience with prostate cancer, and how he’s approached and dealt with the emotional impact of the diagnosis. Unfortunately, there’s often a stigma when it comes to gents opening up about their emotions and mental wellbeing – Rob’s story’s a great example of how opening up helped him cope, and also brought him and his wife, Sue, closer together. I do believe, now having been through chemotherapy for advanced prostate cancer, that the emotional side of…

Former Member
Tell us about your perfect summer- This or that quiz

We want to know what you consider a perfect summer. From ice lollies to sunsets on the beach, complete our summer 'This or That' quiz. How to play the interactive quiz Use the voting buttons to choose your answer from the multiple choices shown. You are welcome to answer all questions or just a few. Once you have voted for your answer, you will be able to see how many others chose the same answer as you. Quiz We hope you had fun doing the above quiz. Why not share your summer plans with us in the comment box below.

Megan- Online Community Team
Catching up with the Kidney cancer forum

Here on the Online Community, there’s lots of different forums where you can find support and talk to people who may be impacted by a similar diagnosis. Ahead of Urological Cancer Month in September, we’re catching up with recent conversations in the Kidney cancer forum and exploring the ways people have supported each other. If you are affected by a different type of urological cancer, remember we also have a Bladder cancer forum , Prostate cancer forum , Testicular cancer forum and Penile cancer forum . Let’s take a look at some of the common topics and conversations that have been happening recently in our Kidney cancer forum. If you’d like to respond in any of these conversations, just follow the links under the quotes. Coming to terms with a diagnosis A new diagnosis can be shocking…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Recognising shared support on the Online Community - Special Contributions, Guest Bloggers and Community Champions

At the heart of our Online Community is the incredible support and connection that members offer each other. Every day, we see individuals going above and beyond, sharing their experiences, offering a helping hand, and making our space a positive and encouraging place to be. To celebrate these acts of kindness and dedication, the Online Community team offer badges to recognise and honour the contributions of our members. In this blog, we’ll introduce you to the different badges we award and explain how they highlight the amazing impact our members have. Whether it’s a thoughtful post, a story shared, or consistent support in our discussion groups, we want to celebrate it all. If you feel inspired to get more involved or know someone whose efforts deserve recognition, we’d love to hear from…

Steph - Online Community Team
Cancer during pregnancy: finding support and sharing your story

Note: This content was originally written by Steph - Online Community Team in 2022. To mark World Breastfeeding Awareness Week 2026, it has been updated to include more recent Community content and links to further support information. A cancer diagnosis can be upsetting. If you’re pregnant when diagnosed with cancer it can be even more frightening and confusing. You might feel you need additional support as you receive your cancer diagnosis, navigate treatment options and cancer treatment. The Community is here to support you, in addition to a wide range of help available from Macmillan and other support providers. Members of the Community might also be supporting a loved one with cancer at the same time as going through a pregnancy. Or perhaps you are coping with your own cancer diagnosis…

Matthew - Online Community Team
Gentle exercise and staying active with Cancer

Being active during and after cancer treatment can offer a lot of benefits, both physically and mentally. Physical activity can improve your emotional well-being and help reduce anxiety and depression. It can also reduce your tiredness and increase your confidence. Physical benefits include: Heart health Strengthens your muscles Bone health Improves your balance Increased your flexibility and helps with stiffness It is usually safe to start doing some physical activity during or after treatment. Here is how to get started safely: Talk to your team: Ask your Oncologist, specialist nurse, or GP what activity they recommend and for any advice on how to proceed. Listen to your body: Activity is encouraged, but certain treatments mean adjusting your limits or types of exercise…

Wayne - Online Community Team