Gemma Peters: The huge impact that small charities make for people with cancer

Gemma Peters shared on LinkedIn:

“As it is Small Charity Week, I wanted to talk a little about some of the amazing work I have seen firsthand from small charities across the cancer sector and recognise and celebrate the huge impact that small charities make for people with cancer.

At Macmillan Cancer Support we are making big strides in learning how to work more closely with these charities because we know how important their work is.

Since joining Macmillan I have met and enjoyed working with several smaller charities and cancer support projects including Coalfields Regeneration Trust, The Rainbow Project in Northern Ireland, Black Women Rising UK, the flagship programme of The Leanne Pero Foundation, Sakoon Through Cancer, Let’s Talk Hope Cancer Support Group with Ameena Westwood, From Me To You with Judith Neptial.

Even Yemeni Community Association London, Shane Ward and the team at West Bromwich African Caribbean Resource Centre, OUTpatients, Alike with Brad Gudger, Black Country Integrated Care Board, Nishkam Civic Association and the Bangladeshi Islamic Centre who are doing fantastic work to support communities and people with cancer.

All of these organisations are a lifeline for thousands of people, and an invaluable source of support. It’s not always easy for organisations of different sizes to work effectively together.

Different expectations, timelines, resources, accountabilities, priorities, cultures can all get in the way. We haven’t always got it right, but when we do the results are magical.

I cycle past this street art every day, and it reminds me that putting the effort in to “go together” is exactly what people with cancer need us to do.

We are one part of a complex eco system of 3rd sector organisations who exist to provide support to people where gaps exist. I see how small charities often know their communities and understand the needs of the people they exist to support better than anyone else.

I am grateful they exist and are supporting people with cancer every day. I think it is part of our role as a big charity to be a brilliant collaborator and partner so we can all do the most good with the resources we have.

We’re still a work in progress on this front but thanks to generous support from some of the organisations above we’re getting better every month.

The landscape for charities, big and small is particularly tough right now and only very recently we have seen the closure of much-loved charities who are doing vital work to offer awareness, education and support around cancer.

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and Cancer Support Scotland both closed their doors after a combined over 60 years and that loss will be felt by countless people who relied on their services and benefitted from their advocacy.

So this Small Charity Week let’s recognise and champion the vital role that small charities play in the voluntary sector and the invaluable contribution they make to their communities.”

Source: Gemma Peters/LinkedIn

Gemma Peters is the Chief Executive Officer of Macmillan Cancer Support. She was previously the CEO of Blood Cancer UK. She has expertise in cancer research, patient care, and clinical best practices.