Last updated at 15:07, Monday, 26 November 2012

IN the next 20 years, the number of people living with cancer is set to double.

DOING MORE: Sue McDonald from Macmillan Cancer Support

One in three people will receive a diagnosis during their lifetime, and for every person diagnosed with cancer, there’s a husband, wife, child, parent or friend directly affected who also needs support.

This makes it clear how vital charities like Macmillan Cancer Support are to millions of people across the UK.

Funded entirely by donations, the charity provides medical, financial, emotional and practical support to people from the very moment they suspect they have cancer and throughout their cancer experience.

Sue McDonald, the charity’s fund-raising manager for Cumbria, says: “We differentiate ourselves from the other charities, because Cancer Research is about finding a cure and Marie Curie helps people who are terminally ill – we’re somewhere in the middle.

“We look after people who are living with cancer and we give grants to people who are financially affected by their illness, but to do this we rely entirely on donations.

“Of our income, 98 per cent of it comes from donations and the other two per cent is the interest from our investments that members of the public have made on our behalf, so that’s why things like the Keswick to Barrow are really important to us.”

In Furness, Macmillan provides five nurses, two welfare benefits providers, and are currently funding a GP to work throughout the area.

Last year the group gave grants totalling £14,761 to Furness cancer patients who found themselves in financial need as a result of their cancer, averaging around £350 each, with more than 50 per cent going towards patients’ heating costs.

Every day, 822 people will hear the words “you have cancer”, which tells you just how many people can benefit from having the support there from day one.

First published at 16:42, Friday, 23 November 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk