Latest news with #MacmillanCancerSupport
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Samaritans closures show brutal reality of financial crisis for UK charities
A week ago the voluntary sector was being love-bombed by ministers at launch of the civil society covenant, an agreement designed to cement the role of charities in the government's economic growth plans and social renewal mission At one level, it was a heady moment of optimism for a sector used to being patronised and ignored. A few days later, news that the mental health charity Samaritans is to close about half of its 200 branches over the next few years was a reminder of the cold, hard economic reality gripping much of the sector. Samaritans is just the latest household name UK charity to take drastic action to stave off financial crisis. In recent months Macmillan Cancer Support has axed a quarter of its staff and cut millions in hardship grants; the disability charity Scope has cut a fifth of its workforce; at Oxfam GB 265 roles are at risk; 550 jobs will go at the National Trust; and the counselling charity Relate was rescued from administration having cut a third of its staff. This is just the most visible tip of the iceberg: thousands of less high-profile charities are shedding jobs and cutting back services, considering mergers, or in some cases shutting their doors. The prime minister paid tribute last week to the 'incredible work of charities' but much of that work exists on fragile ground. At the root of the crisis in the voluntary sector is what commentators call a 'perfect storm' – a brutal confluence of negative economic and social factors. A decade of austerity cuts merged into the pandemic, followed rapidly by the still lingering cost of living crisis with its high inflation and soaring energy prices. Demand rose for charities as a result – in simple terms, there were vastly more people coming to them for help whether for a food parcel, a hostel bed for the night or to get mental health advice and therapy. At the same time income has shrunk: state funding has fallen away, donations have flatlined, and national insurance bills rocketed. Even Macmillan, with one of the slickest fundraising machines in the business, raising over £230m a year, could not keep up with demand. For several years it rode out the crisis by drawing down tens of millions of pounds a year from reserves to fix the holes in its balance sheet – a practice it has now declared unsustainable. Samaritans is tight lipped about the cash savings it wants to make but its published accounts show that spending has exceeded income for each of the last three years and it has struggled to bring costs down. At the same time, its income from state-funded grants and contracts, and from its charitable activities, has fallen. A conventional business might see rationalising the charity's 201 branches across the UK and Ireland as a no-brainer. Lower overheads, and perhaps a windfall from asset sales. Couple this with the rise in mobile technology and AI – with more people working from home since the Covid pandemic – and why keep all this costly bricks and mortar? Charities are not conventional businesses, however: Samaritans is largely run by passionate volunteers, their focus often hyper-local, immersed in community cameraderie, support networks and face-to-face relationships. The prospect of speaking to suicidal callers in remote call centres or at home appalls. As one Samaritans volunteer who contacted the Guardian put it: 'It's a funny organisation, like a cross between an emergency service and the WI [women's institute): life and death and ginger biscuits.' Volunteers were understandably upset, they added: 'If you run a service which callers use because they're dying of lack of human contact, closing and automating it seems a little odd.' In this environment staff and volunteerscan feel abandoned by what they see as the out-of-touch corporate centres of large charities. Ire is directed against big managerial salaries, expensive rebrands, fancy HQs, and a spreadsheet culture perceived to be out of step with core charity values. In charity boardrooms, the harsh reality is expenditure cannot exceed income for too long. Charities continue to be overwhelmed by overflow of demand from decaying public services and rising poverty. As ever, the people most at risk are charities' beneficiaries: the poor and desperate relying on charity to survive.
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Hundreds in Wales face long waits for cancer treatment
According to Macmillan Cancer Support, more than 750 people waited too long to start treatment in May, despite some improvements in cancer waiting times compared to last year. Hannah Buckingham, senior external affairs adviser at Macmillan, said: "Today's data is yet more evidence that who you are and where you live continues to shape people's experience of cancer significantly – and that must change." The charity said cancer must become 'an urgent priority' for the Welsh Government ahead of the upcoming Senedd elections.
Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Woman, 26, told she might have a cold doesn't know how long she has to live
Chelsea Jones noticed a lump on her neck around two and half years ago which doctor told her could be down to various issues, from her grinding her teeth to just having a cold A woman who was told she might just have a cold has been given a devastating diagnosis that she has cancer, more than two years after first going to see a doctor. Chelsea Jones, 26, from West Derby, noticed a lump on her neck around two and half years ago. During numerous visits to the doctors, Chelsea was told it could be down to various issues, from her grinding her teeth to just having a cold. It was only last month that she was told she had acinic cell carcinoma and a parotid gland tumour and now she doesn't know how long she's got left to live. According to Cancer Research, acinic cell carcinoma is a form of cancer that develops in the acinar cells which produce saliva. It is a rare form of cancer that accounts for a small percentage of all salivary gland tumours, typically between 1% and 6%. The organisation adds there is a 'small risk of a cancer developing within the tumour'. Macmillan Cancer Support says there are several types of cancerous salivary tumours, but this type of cancer tends to develop in younger people more than most other salivary gland cancers. The most common symptom of salivary gland cancer is swelling on the side of your face. Even so, the diagnosis on July 10 came as a huge shock to Chelsea. She said: 'I collapsed. It was a good job my mum was with me. It's insane, I've never heard of anything like it. "It's a rare form of cancer. They did say it is slow growing, but they don't know for certain until I get another MRI scan on Saturday. "Then I will find out if it's spread to anywhere else in my body and find out what stage the cancer is at, but I've been told it's 100% not curable. 'I will get the tumour removed in a few weeks and then I will start radiotherapy. They don't know how long I'm going to live for because it's that rare.' Chelsea is frustrated that her cancer was undetected for years. She is now urging others to trust their instincts and get any symptoms fully checked out. Chelsea said: 'I just want to raise awareness, get people to check their lumps and not take no for an answer. Feel your lumps and bumps, study your own body. Since my diagnosis, I've actually found another lump at the back of my neck that I need to mention when I next go into hospital. "You know your own body, you know when something's not right. If I can help one person, that's my job done.'
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gtech MD's £100k breast cancer fundraising bid
A businesswoman is on a mission to raise £100,000 for charities after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Jothie Walford is the Managing Director of Worcester-based tech company G-Tech and five months ago, she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer after discovering a lump near her armpit. "Being told that you have cancer makes your world stop and standstill. When you get your diagnosis you feel really alone all of a sudden and you've got all these treatments coming at you," she said. Since the news Ms Walford received services at the charity Breast Unit Haven and now, with the help of her colleagues at G-Tech, she wants to raise £100,000 for the unit and Macmillan Cancer Support. "It was a very difficult time, and it was the worst news that I received [as] I was fit, healthy and watched my diet so it was a real shock," she said. Breast Unit Haven aims to support cancer patients through their treatment and their recovery. "[The charity] means a lot to me because of the care and the way my treatment emotionally and physically has been handled has made me feel cared for," Ms Walford said. "I wanted to give something back and do something to help the unit alongside research charities." The company, which has also launched a range of pink-coloured products to raise money for the charity, is planning a series of fundraisers, including a Hollywood/Bollywood-themed ball at the Gtech Community Stadium, the home of Brentford FC. For Ms Walford, it is about more than fundraising but an opportunity to share her story and raise awareness of breast cancer in her community. "People don't want to talk about cancer when they're actually diagnosed, especially from my community, being Indian," she said. "I think coming out and talking about it, I'm hoping it will raise awareness and people will understand that it is more common, and it's nothing to be embarrassed about." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More on this story Jessie J reveals cancer operation success Dance 'kept me going' during cancer treatment Woman with double mastectomy walks topless for charity Trisha Goddard on 'learning to walk again' after cancer diagnosis New programme to support women after breast cancer Related internet links Gtech Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Gtech MD on £100k Worcester breast cancer fundraising mission
A businesswoman is on a mission to raise £100,000 for charities after being diagnosed with breast Walford is the Managing Director of Worcester-based tech company G-Tech and five months ago, she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer after discovering a lump near her armpit."Being told that you have cancer makes your world stop and standstill. When you get your diagnosis you feel really alone all of a sudden and you've got all these treatments coming at you," she the news Ms Walford received services at the charity Breast Unit Haven and now, with the help of her colleagues at G-Tech, she wants to raise £100,000 for the unit and Macmillan Cancer Support. "It was a very difficult time, and it was the worst news that I received [as] I was fit, healthy and watched my diet so it was a real shock," she Unit Haven aims to support cancer patients through their treatment and their recovery."[The charity] means a lot to me because of the care and the way my treatment emotionally and physically has been handled has made me feel cared for," Ms Walford said."I wanted to give something back and do something to help the unit alongside research charities."The company, which has also launched a range of pink-coloured products to raise money for the charity, is planning a series of fundraisers, including a Hollywood/Bollywood-themed ball at the Gtech Community Stadium, the home of Brentford Ms Walford, it is about more than fundraising but an opportunity to share her story and raise awareness of breast cancer in her community."People don't want to talk about cancer when they're actually diagnosed, especially from my community, being Indian," she said."I think coming out and talking about it, I'm hoping it will raise awareness and people will understand that it is more common, and it's nothing to be embarrassed about." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
