A photo of Gemma. She is sitting in a chair, look at the camera and smiling. She is wearing blue trousers, a blue jumper and a white shirt.

A word from Gemma Peters, our Chief Executive

Read our Chief Executive's open letter demanding better for people with cancer, and sharing how we’re fighting for a better future. 


We've always been here for people with cancer

At Macmillan, we do whatever it takes to help people living with cancer. In our early days, that meant cycling to visit people at home, changing their dressings and delivering coal to keep them warm. As healthcare evolved, so did we, creating roles like the Cancer Nurse Specialist to make sure patients get the personalised care they need. For over 100 years now, we’ve been innovating to improve the lives of people with cancer across the UK.


New cancer care challenges mean we must keep adapting

Today, cancer care faces some of the biggest challenges we’ve seen in our time. There are almost 3.5 million people living with cancer in the UK and this number is growing. Increasingly, many struggle to access the care they need because of who they are or where they live. People are being left behind, but it doesn’t have to be this way. 

Over the last 18 months, we have spoken to thousands of people living with cancer, healthcare professionals, partners, colleagues, volunteers and other experts to understand the biggest challenges and opportunities in cancer care. Together, we’ve developed this bold new five-year organisational strategy. Better is possible, and by working differently, we’ll have an even greater impact.

Even greater support for even more people

We’re challenging ourselves to reach everyone with cancer, so they get the best possible support right now. But we won’t stop there. We’re sparking a revolution in cancer care for everyone diagnosed in the future. We’ll do even more in the places where people need us most. And we’ll evolve the information and support we offer, finding new ways to provide it so more people across the UK get the help they so desperately need. As part of this, we’ll grow our community of nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals we support to give their patients the very best cancer care.

At the same time, we’ll support the people having the worst experiences. Working alongside their communities, we’ll find the right solutions so they and others with cancer can benefit. By bringing together partners across public services, business, and the charity sector, we’ll tackle deep-rooted problems in a sustainable way.

A lot has changed since Douglas Macmillan founded our organisation in 1911, but one thing that will never change is our commitment to demanding better for people living with cancer. We know we have a significant challenge on our hands and our plans are ambitious – but the opportunity is huge. It’s time for us to work together to transform cancer care for good.

Gemma Peters, Chief Executive at Macmillan

Read more about our strategy

Our new organisational strategy sets out how we’ll fight even harder to make every pound you raise count for even more. With your help, we’ll transform cancer care for good. 
Three people are sitting and chatting at a Coffee Morning. A person with short hair and wearing a white tshirt is holding a plastic drink cup. Next to them is a person in a black tshirt holding a plate with food and a plastic drink up. Behind them are other people at the event. They appear to be in an outdoor basketball court. Three people are sitting and chatting at a Coffee Morning. A person with short hair and wearing a white tshirt is holding a plastic drink cup. Next to them is a person in a black tshirt holding a plate with food and a plastic drink up. Behind them are other people at the event. They appear to be in an outdoor basketball court.
Our objectives
Who needs us most? Where are people really struggling? What are the biggest barriers to care we need to take down? Important questions like these helped us put four areas at the heart of our new strategy.
Two men are playing dominoes on a table inside a large conference room. Behind them are other tables with people playing dominoes and chatting. They are all members of the Pineapple Club in South East London.Two men are playing dominoes on a table inside a large conference room. Behind them are other tables with people playing dominoes and chatting. They are all members of the Pineapple Club in South East London.
We’re getting to work right away
We’ve already rolled up our sleeves and started charging towards our goals. Here’s what we’re doing today, and where we’re heading next.
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Download our strategy
You can read more detail about Macmillan's strategy and how we're going to spark a revolution in cancer care by downloading our printable version.
More about our strategy