Macmillan Community
Our Project
Working across the Southend, Essex and Thurrock local authority areas, the Macmillan Community Voices project seeks to help improve cancer care and support for all, by amplifying the voices of communities that are known to experience health inequalities.
Our team actively reaches out to hear the stories of those with lived experience of cancer from ethnically diverse groups (including refugees), those experiencing socio-economic deprivation, LGBTQIA+, veterans, sensory loss and learning disabilities communities.
We also collaborate with clinical teams and community support networks, along with carers and families supporting people living with cancer, to collectively explore and identify opportunities to improve experiences of cancer care and support.
Our Partnership
The Macmillan Community Voices project demonstrates the real power of partnership working and collaboration in tackling cancer inequalities across Essex. Through our partnership with Community360, we have been able to reach communities whose experiences are too often missing from conversations about cancer services, ensuring that people affected by cancer have a genuine opportunity to influence change.
What has impressed me most is the organisation’s commitment to listening, learning and acting on what communities tell them. Through strong collaboration with residents, voluntary organisations, healthcare partners and community leaders, Community360 has helped amplify the voices of people affected by cancer and turn those insights into evidence that can inform local and national decision-making.
Anton Morgan-Thorne, Communities Manager, Macmillan Cancer Support
LGBTQIA+ Communities
Engaging with those with lived experience and clinical and community stakeholders involved in the care and support of members of the LGBTQIA+ community who have or are, receiving cancer care.
Together, we are not just shaping individual futures; we are transforming communities and building a better world for generations to come.
Veterans Workshop Brings Community, Compassion and Cancer Awareness Together
Attendees shared experiences, built partnerships and began to explore how services can be adapted to better meet the needs of the veteran community. The most impactful parts of the day came from members of the veteran community sharing their lived experiences.
Together, we are not just shaping individual futures; we are transforming communities and building a better world for generations to come.
Learning Disability Community
We welcomed representatives from a range of organisations to explore the lived experiences of adults with learning disabilities affected by cancer. During the workshop we heard about the challenges and barriers faced by this community, as well as examples of best practice to help address some of these challenges.
Together, we are not just shaping individual futures; we are transforming communities and building a better world for generations to come.
By hosting coffee mornings, we not only raise valuable funds for our partner, Macmillan Cancer Support, but also foster community connections and help remove the stigma surrounding conversations about cancer. We provide a safe and friendly space for people to connect with others and talk, if they wish, about their own experiences.
And, there is always fantastic cake!
258 people contributed detailed insights as community voices
75 partnership members actively shaping findings and recommendations
Through our partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, the voices of Essex residents have been shared beyond local communities and into national conversations about the future of cancer care.
Perhaps most importantly, the project has created safe and trusted spaces where people feel able to talk openly about cancer, often for the first time. By elevating lived experience, reducing stigma and building trust between communities and services, Macmillan Community Voices is helping to ensure that people who have historically been unheard can influence the decisions that affect their lives. Through this work, community voices are not only being listened to – they are helping shape the future of more equitable cancer care.
The impact of this work extends far beyond individual engagement activities. Together, through effective partnership working, we have strengthened relationships across the voluntary and health sectors, increased awareness of cancer within communities, and contributed valuable insight into wider discussions about reducing inequalities and improving outcomes for people affected by cancer. Macmillan is proud to support this work, and I would like to thank Community360 for their passion, expertise and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of people across Essex throughout their cancer journey
Anton Morgan-Thorne
Communities Manager, Macmillan Cancer Support
Insights gathered through Macmillan Community Voices have contributed to wider discussions about reducing inequalities, improving access to support, strengthening community partnerships and ensuring care is designed around people’s lives – priorities that are reflected within the National Cancer Plan for England.
The project has helped identify persistent barriers across the cancer pathway, including challenges relating to communication, access to services, culturally appropriate support, carers’ experiences, emotional wellbeing, and the needs of people who are often underserved by traditional health services. These findings have provided valuable evidence to inform local and national conversations about how cancer services can better meet the needs of diverse communities.
If you would like to know more about any of our project work, please email voices@community360.org.uk
