Reflecting on a remarkable year for Macmillan

As the new school year begins and our Annual Report for 2024 is published, I’ve been reflecting on what was a remarkable year for Macmillan.

Despite facing big challenges, we reached 2.4 million people in 2024, 100,000 more than the year before, while at the same time transforming how we work to better serve the growing number of people living with cancer. Achieving greater impact during a time of change is no small feat, and it’s thanks to the incredible dedication of our colleagues, volunteers, and healthcare professionals. I’m deeply proud and grateful to every one of you.

2024 was marked by a difficult financial climate, a government review declaring the NHS “broken,” and a cancer care system under strain. People waited too long for diagnoses and treatments, and many felt lost in a system that didn’t meet their needs.

We knew we needed to do more, and we knew we had to change to be able to do it. Together with people living with cancer, we shaped a bold new strategy. We made tough decisions, including restructuring and reducing our size to ensure we do whatever it takes for those who need us most.

Our support services saw a 21% surge in demand, helping over 480,000 people through our Support Line, Online Community, Information Centres, and our amazing Macmillan Buddies. This is 83,000 more than last year.

People like Natasha, who is living with stage 4 lung cancer, found clarity and comfort through our Support Line. Her story reminds us why we do what we do. “I phoned up the Macmillan Support Line and said, ‘help!’. The nurse I spoke with was just amazing. She calmed me down and helped me untangle it all. She was able to explain what it meant and what was to happen next. She said, ‘if you need us, we can help hold your hand throughout this. She was amazing."

Find out more about all the ways we can help

Our new ambition is bold: to be there for everyone with cancer, and to drive a revolution in cancer care to make it fairer, faster, and more personal.

We’re putting the voices of people with cancer at the heart of national plans and decisions.

There’s still much to do, but we’re moving fast and with purpose. As we head into the final months of 2025, I’m energised by the momentum we’ve built. I bought my god daughter a necklace for her 18th birthday last month which says ‘just getting started’ - words that feel equally fitting for where Macmillan is too.

Read our latest annual report to find out more about the work we did in 2024. We also have it available in plain text, translated in Welsh, and a video for British Sign Language translation.

View our annual report