Macmillan Solutions.

Hi, my name’s Raymond Cochrane. I’m the Chair of the Macmillan Solutions group in the North Moor area of Manchester.

Macmillan Solutions aims to provide emotional support, practical support and fiscal support.

Julian, Macmillan volunteer: We saw it as a great way of reaching out into our community

and we’ve seen over the last few months how much little things can help with families.

James’ story: Told by Michael, Macmillan volunteer.

I want to tell a story about James, one of the people we support, who was diagnosed with cancer.

My first point of contact was North Manchester General Hospital, more than a year ago now.

Like every other normal person, I refused to accept that I was diagnosed with cancer.

When Macmillan Solutions came to the house they were carrying food parcels.

It’s not just seeing Macmillan at the hospital, the volunteers here in the community are important.

It’s the social interaction that is important.

The volunteers stayed with us for an hour. It was fantastic. Somebody to listen to you.

It is quite healing.

We now have a volunteer who is helping our son play football.

And the buying of a football kit for him by Macmillan has helped.

We wouldn’t be able to afford him football boots and a tracksuit.

It gave him the confidence to be part of a new team.

Simon, Macmillan volunteer: Well my first family was in Gorton and the dad was diagnosed with cancer,

but I was really there to help his son.

His son absolutely loves football. Like, lives and breathes the sport.

The other day I took him for some football kit, and his face was amazing.

Just to see his face when he was playing again. Do you know what I mean? That’s the sort of fulfilment.

And that will help his dad as well, because his dad obviously wants the best for his son. Even though he’s in that condition, he stills wants the kids to enjoy themselves.

David, Macmillan volunteer: Those that I’ve been supporting, as soon as they find out I’ve gone through it myself, the just seem to open up .

It’s a relief that there’s somebody there that they can talk to who has been through that sort of experience.

Julian: So just recently what we’ve started to do is sort of get groups of people to adopt a family.

So we may have a family that’s been referred to us and we have a volunteer working with them week in week out and helping,

but sometimes that volunteer has got their own family to look after and things like that and time constraints can come in.

So what we’ve started to do is groups of people will sort of adopt that family. So they may buy presents for a birthday, put a food parcel together.

Mainly just little things like that, that as a group they can do and it helps that family and it also takes the pressure off that volunteer.

Pauline, supported by Macmillan Solutions: Well, the Macmillan Nurse came round and she told me about other support apart from local solutions that I had for a while.

And she says Macmillan Solutions can help me in the home and there’s no charge.

Pauline Brooke, Macmillan volunteer: I’m Pauline Brooke and I live in Manchester and work for the local council.

I got involved with volunteering for Macmillan through an advert I saw on the council bulletin asking for lead volunteers.

So I applied for it and that was it.

Pauline: Two nice, bubbly young girls called Pauline and Zara come to help me,

and they can’t do enough for you.

Pauline Brooke: I was paired up with Zara, another volunteer, so both of us went in once a week for one hour

and we just de-cluttered her house. So mainly what we did was just tidying up the house and sort out the washing

and do some ironing and also keep her company telling her little stories and make her laugh, and it was great, you know?

Every time we left it was sad to leave her.

Pauline: Well, they’ve become friends really.

Both of them are very nice and I’ve got to know them.

And I feel at ease when they’re around.

Pauline Brooke: I think it’s a great privilege to be able to do that.

And having people affected by cancer open up their house and let us help them. I think it’s so rewarding.

Raymond: You know one in three of us know somebody who is a survivor of cancer or has been affected by cancer.

And the Macmillan Solutions project is an option for you to either refer somebody, someone you know, it may be very personal.

Or it may be an opportunity for you to volunteer and offer some of your time.

David: There’s a great deal to be gained from being able to support somebody.

It strengthens yourself, it strengthens the people you support.

Pauline: I’d encourage everybody to volunteer for Macmillan, because it’s very practical.

Pauline Brooke: If you see the advert or it in the newspaper, just get in touch.

Simon: You know the littlest things can help. Even if you just go around for half an hour and listen.

Raymond: Whatever skills you’ve got to offer, you can make a massive difference.

Julian: It’s great to help those families and to see that a little bit of help and a little bit of volunteering goes a long way.

We fund nurses. We climb mountains. We fight inequality. We give our time. We support families. We provide grants. We make coffee. We change lives.

We are Macmillan Cancer Support.