A person is putting a letter through a letterbox on a door. They are wearing a blue top. The door is black. The letter appears to be a Macmillan branded letter.

Microvolunteering

Microvolunteering is all about turning small actions into big impacts, in a way that suits you.

1. Join us on World Cancer Day

On World Cancer Day (4 February), join us at 10am for a live-streamed conversation between Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and Nick Robinson, journalist and broadcaster. Gemma Peters, Chief Executive of Macmillan, will set the stage and close the event, ensuring that the voices of people affected by cancer are at the heart of the discussion.

This is a key moment as the Government develops its Cancer Plan for England, and we’re bringing together people with lived experience of cancer, NHS professionals, national cancer charities, and community organisations to share their voices directly and highlight what’s needed to transform cancer care across the UK.

Can’t watch live? No problem – the event will be recorded, and you can watch it back later using the same link. Click here to join.

A young person with short brown hair is putting letters in a red postal box. They are wearing a blue jumper. Behind them is a field of grass and a building.

2. Send good luck cards to Macmillan fundraisers

We are looking for volunteers to write and post handwritten Good Luck cards to Macmillan fundraisers ahead of their event, celebrating their achievements and thanking them for raising vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Your card writing pack will arrive between 17th to 24th February, and you must have posted the cards by Friday 28th February.

You’ll need to be in our Action Team to take part in this activity. To sign up, log into your Assemble profile and then click here. If the activity is showing as ‘cancelled’, this means all of the spaces have been taken this time – but keep an eye out as we’ll be releasing more card writing spaces at the end of February!

3. Use social media to raise money for Macmillan!

WeAre8 is a social media platform with a difference, aiming to change the world for the better! Unlike other social media platforms, advertising income on WeAre8 is shared with its users, who can choose to pay it forward to their chosen charities. You can support Macmillan by downloading the app, heading to your ‘wallet’ and selecting Macmillan as your chosen charity. Then, every time you watch an advert on the platform, you will receive money into your ‘8 Wallet’ on the app, which you can then choose to pay forward to Macmillan.

4. Learn about Grief, Loss and Bereavement, with our online course.

We all face grief, loss and bereavement at some point in our lives, but it can still be a taboo topic for many people. While volunteering with us, you might encounter this in a number of ways; perhaps you will support people at end of life, or maybe members of the public will open up about their experiences, while you are representing Macmillan at an event.

This short course will give you information help deal with these conversations, covering;

- An introduction to grief, loss and bereavement
- Supporting people who are bereaved
- Having compassionate conversations
- Signposting, and your wellbeing

If you are a registered volunteer, please ensure you complete the form at the end of the course, to allow us to update your Assemble training record.

Stephanie is standing outside behind a large heart shaped sculpture. She is wearing a grey cardigan, a patterned top and pink trousers. The sculpture has the words All You Need is Love written on them.

Steph's experience of microvolunteering

In 2023, Steph was diagnosed with incurable endometrial cancer. She started microvolunteering while recovering from treatment.

"Microvolunteering doesn't take lot of time or effort so it's great while I'm building my strength. I can do it from the comfort of my home or in my local area, and it only takes a couple of hours at a time."

View Steph's story