Have your say. Help shape Macmillan's future. |
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Welcome to June's Cancer Voices Newsletter |
Hi. I’m Alex Pangalos, Macmillan’s new Senior Lived Experience Manager. I have a background in social research and have worked closely with many different communities, including asylum-seekers and refugees, and people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. My work has always focused on working in partnership with communities to shape services and policies.
I strongly believe putting people living with cancer at the heart of strategy and service design is an absolute priority for Macmillan. I have seen first-hand the powerful results of working alongside people with lived experience to collaboratively make key decisions and shape services.
I am thrilled to be joining the Lived Experience Team at such an important time, as Macmillan launches a new open strategy process. We are committed to working closely with you to build our services and strategy around your voices and your evolving needs.
People with lived experience were at the heart of Macmillan's Thanks to You Awards this month. We were thrilled to see so many cancer voices celebrated and are delighted to include an article from Nes, about the awards and her work with cancer voices.
As we celebrate and empower LGBTQ+ communities this Pride Month, I would also like to re-emphasise our firm commitment to including people from all backgrounds in our work. We know that meaningful inclusion is integral to understanding the diverse needs of people living with cancer.
We are grateful to each and every one of you for working with us to make Macmillan’s services the best that they can be for all people. This month's new opportunities include Macmillan's campaign to tackle dangerously long waits for cancer tests and treatment, and a new training offer.
I am really looking forward to meeting and working with you over the coming months. Thank you for being part of the Cancer Voices Community. |
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Hi everyone! My name is Ellie (they/them) and I am excited to be joining the Lived Experience Team as a Strategy Lead. I will be contributing to the development of Macmillan’s lived experience strategy, and ensuring the voices of people living with cancer are embedded into the open strategy process. I previously worked at NHS England in the Mental Health Team, developing their approach to public and patient involvement. I have a passion for ensuring service users are at the heart of policy and decision making. I have seen first-hand the impact genuine co-production can have, and I am inspired by the commitment of people who use their experiences to improve healthcare systems. I am committed to working in partnership with cancer voices to help shape the future of Macmillan. And I am excited to have the opportunity to work with you all over the next year.
Warm wishes from Ellie and Alex, on behalf of the Lived Experience Team, Tahera, Alex, Kathryn, Ellie, Aanchal and Andrea |
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Click on the image above to watch a video message from Gemma Peters, Macmillan's CEO |
Help Shape Macmillan's Future |
We know how quickly the environment around us is changing, with more and more people living with cancer. We are seeing the impact of this on a system that can’t keep up. Last year, cancer waiting times were the worst on record for each nation in the UK.
We want to let you know about plans to ensure Macmillan continues to evolve to meet your needs and the needs of everyone affected by cancer in the UK. We know we can’t afford to stand still. We need to seize every chance to make a difference.
But we can’t do it alone. We want everyone, most importantly people experiencing the daily reality of living with cancer, to tell us what they think about cancer care now and make their mark on Macmillan’s next chapter.
We want to invite you to get involved. Please take a moment to check out what we’re doing and why, and complete our short survey by Friday 14 July.
At this stage, it’s simply about welcoming ideas and opinions. But we’re keen to make sure we’re developing our plans in partnership, so we’ll be in touch soon to tell you about more opportunities for you to get involved.
If you would like to receive a paper copy of the survey, please email cancervoices@macmillan.org.uk and we will arrange to have one sent to you. We are working on translating both online and paper surveys into other languages. As soon as they are ready to share, we will let you know.
We look forward to updating you on further opportunities to get involved with this work. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any feedback or questions. |
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Nes and the Thanks to You Awards |
Nes has been a member of the Cancer Voices Community for 18 months. During this time, she has participated in a number of projects and worked with a variety of teams across Macmillan.
Nes was invited to join the national judging panel to help choose the winners of the Thanks To You Awards. She was also asked to present the Lived Experience Award to Fiona Stevenson at the awards ceremony held in Birmingham earlier this month.
'It made me appreciate how
people just feel so connected to Macmillan. It's one of the few times I've
actually felt positive about having and living with cancer myself. They made it feel positive. Almost like being part of a gang!'
Read more about Nes’s involvement in the awards and her work with cancer voices in the full article.
Another huge congratulations to all the incredible nominees, finalists and winners! |
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Macmillan's LGBTQ+ Information Hub |
June marks Pride month, an important moment to celebrate love and friendship, to uplift the voices of the LGBTQ+ community, and to support the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights across the world.
We know that if you are part of the LGBTQ+ community, there may be unique challenges that impact your experience of cancer support. Macmillan have created an LGBTQ+ Information Hub, in partnership with Live Through This, a cancer support and advocacy charity for the LGBTQ+ community.
If you are part of the LGBTQ+ community and are living with cancer, we have information to help you. From managing your healthcare to making sure you are treated fairly. |
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Take part in Macmillan's new campaign |
This week, Macmillan Cancer Support is launching a new campaign, What Are We Waiting For? Too many people are facing dangerously long waits for cancer tests and treatment. In 2022, cancer treatment waiting times fell to the worst on record across the UK.
NHS staff are doing the very best they can, but the system is stretched to breaking point. Without action from governments across the UK, the system will continue to fail health professionals and risk lives.
Will you sign the campaign banner and ask politicians: What are you waiting for?
Jules, a Macmillan campaigner living with stage 4 lung cancer, told us: “I am so anxious that my phone is going to ring with another cancellation. It’s affecting everybody around me… Governments across the UK need to listen to us.”
We know that waiting for test results and treatments can be a worrying time. If you’re in this situation and need support, we’re here for you . |
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Grief, loss & bereavement training |
Macmillan’s Learning & Development team will be running two Supporting after Grief, Loss and Bereavement training webinars for cancer voices: - Wednesday 26th July, from 2pm to 4pm
- Wednesday 23rd August from 1pm to 3pm
Sessions will cover: - effective listening and responding skills
- loss in the context of people affected by cancer
- effects and responses to loss and bereavement
- models for dealing with grief
- roles and boundaries when working with people facing death/dying
The content of both sessions will be the same, so people should only book on to one. Sessions will be delivered via Microsoft Teams and attendees will be asked for their full engagement through the chat bar or 'reactions' when prompted.
If you would like to attend, please log into Assemble, and click 'Activities', then 'Events', then 'All events'.
If you have any questions or if you would like any help with Microsoft Teams or with registering for the sessions, please email learning@macmillan.org.uk |
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Reminder to complete your demographic details on Assemble |
We need your help. If you haven’t done so already, please log in to Assemble and update your personal details. Sharing your demographic information will help us ensure the cancer voices community meets the needs of everyone living with cancer.
Click here to read more about why your demographic information is so important. If you have any questions or concerns or would like any support submitting your information, please email cancervoices@macmillan.org.uk |
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Thank you for reading. You can find out more about the ways in which people living with cancer are influencing Macmillan's work by visiting the cancer voices website.
If you have any feedback or questions, please email cancervoices@macmillan.org.uk
Finally, a reminder that Macmillan is here for you at any time in your cancer experience, in lots of different ways. Our support line is open 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm, 0808 808 0000, and the Macmillan website lists all of the ways you, and the people around you, can get information and support. Also, the Macmillan Online Community understands what it’s like to have cancer and is there 24 hours a day.
With best wishes from Macmillan’s Lived Experience Team - Andrea, Aanchal, Tahera, and Kathryn |
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Please do not reply to this email, as this inbox is not monitored. If you have any questions about Macmillan, or would like to talk to someone about cancer, we have a team of experts who can help.
Visit macmillan.org.uk or call 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm)
If you would like to leave feedback about this communication or the work Macmillan does, please do so.
If you would like to update your contact preferences, please call our Supporter Care Hub on 0300 1000 200 or email contact@macmillan.org.uk. |
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Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland. A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales company number 2400969. Isle of Man company number 4694F. Registered office: 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7UQ. 0 398084 |
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