Macmillan Cancer Support (MCS) has axed a quarter of its staff, downgraded its helpline and scrapped its flagship hardship scheme providing millions of pounds in grants to thousands of patients, the Guardian has revealed.
The charity, one of the biggest and best known in Britain, said a tough financial environment meant it had no choice but to make drastic changes in order to permanently safeguard its future.
But a Guardian investigation has raised questions over how Macmillan ended up in such a dire state and revealed how shutting the 100-year-old hardship scheme will impact the country’s most vulnerable cancer patients.
We would like to hear from Macmillan staff (present and recently past) who could tell us about their experiences of the changes and also from people who have received the hardship grants that MCS is now scrapping.
We would also like to hear from professionals (eg. cancer nurses, welfare advisers) who have referred clients for the grants. You can share your experiences below.
