Can Macmillan help with finances?

Macmillan has information on managing money when living with cancer. It covers: dealing with lenders and energy companies debt benefits bills and housing costs pensions and insurance. Macmillan also offers grants to help with the extra costs that cancer can cause. If you are not sure where to start, talk to a Macmillan financial guide on 0808 808 00 00.

How much money is a Macmillan Grant?

A Macmillan Grant is a one-off payment of £300 to help with the extra costs that living with cancer can bring.

Who is eligible for a Macmillan Grant?

You can apply for a Macmillan Grant if you are 18 or over and have a current cancer diagnosis. All of the following must also apply: You have no more than £1,000 in savings for a household. You have a weekly income of no more than £323 per week for a household of 1 person or no more than £442 per week for a household of 2 or more people. You have not already had a Macmillan Grant in the last 2 years. We do not count Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Attendance Allowance (AA) when we work out your weekly income.

How do you apply for a Macmillan Grant?

You can apply for a Macmillan Grant by phone, or through your healthcare team. Apply by phone You can call our Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00 and talk to the Welfare Rights team about Macmillan Grants. You can speak with the Welfare Rights team: Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5pm. Apply through your healthcare team You apply through a medical professional, a health or social care professional or a benefits adviser. This may be a social worker, a district nurse or a Macmillan nurse, if you have one. They fill in a grant application form with you online and send it to the Grants team at Macmillan.

How many times can you apply for a Macmillan Grant?

Macmillan Grants are one-off support, not a replacement for other financial help. To apply, you must not have had a Macmillan Grant in the past 2 years. As part of the application process, we will decide whether there is other support that would be more suitable. This might be from Macmillan, or somewhere else.

How long does it take for a Macmillan Grant to come through?

Once you submit a completed application, we aim to process it within 2 days. You can track the progress of your application on the dashboard.

Someone cycling up an empty winding road. There is a river running through a valley and large hills in the background.

Best Cycling Paths in the UK

Blog

Published: 14 June 2023

Dust off your bike and discover some of the stunning landscapes and cities the UK has to offer. In this blog, we look at 5 popular routes to try as a fun day out exploring somewhere new, or as a way to spice up your training plan for a charity bike ride.

Lucy Thompson Digital Content Editor at Macmillan

The Loch Leven Heritage Trail is a haven of nature, wildlife and history wrapped up into one. Circling Scotland’s largest lowland freshwater loch, the trail is mostly flat and suitable for cyclists of all abilities.

A bike propped against a bridge on the Loch Leven cycle path — Image: Loch Leven trail | cyclingscot.co.uk

The route

This flat cycle path winds between ancient woodland, wildlife-rich wetlands and stretches of the Lochside. The Loch is bristling with history; it has been home to monks, imprisoned Queens, and the site of prestigious winter curling tournaments. It’s also internationally important as a grazing spot for wildfowl, including geese, cormorants and herons – making of a stunning cycle ride for nature enthusiasts.

There are plenty of rest stops throughout, including cafes, a farm shop and the RSPB visitor centre featuring bird hides and a viewing area complete with telescopes and (optional!) cakes. You can also turn your ride into a full day out, taking advantage of a plethora of nearby activities, including Lochleven Castle, accessible by a 10-minute boat ride.

Loch Leven trail: key facts

Distance: 13 miles (about 1hr 20mins)
Route type: Circular
Start/end: Kirgate Park at Kinross
Difficulty: 3/10, mostly flat
Road type: finely packed gravel
Elevation: 138m
Facilities: Toilets at the Kirkgate car park (20p cost); regular cafés sprinkled throughout the route, including the RSPB visitor centre and Lochleven castle. There are also plenty of benches around the path for a picnic or rest stop.
Getting there: free car parking at the Kinross pier at the nature reserve. By public transport, you can take your bike on the train to Lochgelly (45 minutes from Edinburgh), then take the bus to Ballingry (approx. 20 minutes trip), then cycle 10 minutes to join the train. Alternately, you can cycle from Loghgelly to the heritage trail in about 30 minutes, although it’s worth noting this involves several busy B-roads.
When to go: any time of year – the wetlands teem with wildlife throughout the year
Accessibility: step-free access to the track from the visitor centre. The centre itself also has level access, as well as disabled toilets
Accommodation: wild camping is permitted; there are also B&B options in Kinross

The Loch Leven cycle track in Scotland — Image: Loch Leven | cyclingscot.co.uk

What next?

This cycle trail is a great route to incorporate as part of your training schedule, or to undertake as a one-off challenge. Read more on how to join other Team Macmillan cyclists and make a difference for people living with cancer.

Start your cycling journey

Someone cycling up an empty winding road. There is a river running through a valley and large hills in the background. Looking for the challenge of a lifetime? Join Team Macmillan for Ride across Britain – a 9 day cycling epic that will take you from the coast of Cornwall to the highlands of Scotland.

Or kickstart your cycling journey with one of our training plans – if you’re just starting out, download the Sofa to 50K training plan, an 8-week plan developed by British Cycling for people looking to get cycling for health or their first charity bike ride.

Looking for something different? Explore all upcoming Macmillan cycling events and sign up for your next challenge today.

Explore Macmillan cycling events

Frequently asked questions

Whether you decide to tackle the stunning circular route around Loch Leven, or the short and fast Richmond Park loop, here’s what to know when planning your next cycling trip.

You can also explore more information on how to stretch, strengthen and fuel for your cycle with more top advice from our training partner Running with Us. For more resources on preparing for cycle rides in all conditions, check out British Cycling.

Planning for a trip – how much training you should do? What about training plans?

If you’re tackling your first proper ride, be realistic about choosing your distance.

If you're already reasonably active, aim to complete a 15 mile ride in 60-90 minutes. If you’re only just getting started, plan a 5 mile route, ideally on roads with minimal traffic and no big hills. There are various apps with free options to help plan your route, including Strava, Komoot, Mapmyride and Google Maps.

Explore different training plans from British cycling – including a beginner plan to take you to your first 50km.
What equipment will you need?
No matter what type of ride you’re doing, you’ll want to make sure you’re carrying a basic puncture repair kit. This should include:

a spare inner tube (make sure it’s the correct size for the wheel of your bike)

a couple of tyre levers

a pump

Other things to bring with you include:

plasters or a first aid kit in case of any scrapes

your mobile phone

some cash or a debit card for emergencies

plenty of water and possibly also some easy snacks

Other equipment

Consider bringing a basic multi-tool, in case of needing to change the saddle height or other adjustments once you’re out on the road.

If cycling in dimly lit conditions or fog, you should also have lights equipped to the front and back of your bike. If cycling on roads, it’s always a good idea to wear a high vis top or jacket over your clothes.

When trying a new route that isn’t necessarily well signposted, consider investing in a GPS bike computer that clips to the handlebars, or a phone mount for you to follow your route on Maps.

You may want to invest in equipping your bike with paniers. This will allow you to cycle without a heavy rucksack.
What should I wear?

You don’t need to invest in expensive cycling gear to begin with, but a helmet is an absolute essential. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable sport leggings for trips longer than a few miles, or lycra shorts beneath jeans. If you like, you can invest in bib shorts down the line.

Need some inspiration? Check out our range of cycling gear from the Macmillan shop - we've got everything from cycling jerseys to sunglasses.
How to check your bike before a ride
There are a few things to check before setting out on your ride:

Saddle height: should be high enough to pedal freely, the balls of your feet just reaching the ground while seated

Tyres: check tyres are pumped up properly. Use a pump with a gauge to make sure the pressure is correct for the weight and size of your tyres. As you get more experienced, you can experiment with different pressures to optimise your ride

It’s always worth learning how to do a basic safety test before setting on your ride.

You can find more training resources and information on bike checks here.
How to travel with a bike

If you’re travelling further afield for a new cycling route, it’s important to plan in advance how you will get to the start point.

If taking your bike on public transport, particularly trains, you will need to book a bike slot in advance with the train company. Similarly, some buses will not allow you to bring your bike aboard, so it’s important to research this in advance.

About the author

Lucy is an experienced lifestyle writer who enjoys hiking, cycling, and generally getting lost in the outdoors. She is currently working on a range of fundraising content at Macmillan.