Donate

Macmillan rely on donations to carry out their work in supporting people with cancer. Ninety eight percent of its income - around £116.5 million -  came from voluntary donations in 2023. The rest of its income comes from money left in wills, fundraising events, direct marketing, corporate donations and grants. On average, Macmillan nets over £200 million per year.

With all this money at their disposal, you would be forgiven for thinking they provide a comprehensive, all-round support service to people living with cancer who seek their help. But they don't. Support given is patchy, varies from region to region and is inconsistent. Partly, this is because they are extremely talented at wasting money on failed projects, outside agencies, rebranding, contracted staff, team 'jollies' and the like. As they are obsessed with meetings, a lot of time is lost through these without achieving much. Add to this the salaries of their Chief Executive - circa £200k - and senior managers on £100k+ each, it's easy to see where money is skimmed off first. By comparison, the UK's prime minister earns £164,951.

Constantly, Macmillan flood social media, tv channels and others with appeals for donations or fundraising events. They suggest that you shave off your hair, go bungee jumping, hike across Britain, hold coffee mornings etc to raise money for them. They also invite you to have your will written by their cronies, with an expectation that you will leave them money.  Before I knew how Macmillan operated and experienced their appalling work culture which is riddled with bullying, race and disability discrimination, I fundraised for them by doing sponsored cycling events. And thanks to others' generosity, I raised hundreds of pounds (sterling). If there was a way, I'd ask Macmillan to refund the money.