What Macmillan Cancer Support does

Macmillan Cancer Support is a UK-registered charity founded in 1911 that delivers free, comprehensive cancer information, emotional support and practical assistance to people affected by cancer, alongside resources and training for healthcare professionals. The organisation serves approximately 3-3.5 million people living with cancer in the UK, supported by roughly 1,500 employees and more than 28,000 volunteers, and is structured as a company limited by guarantee with separate registered charity entities in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man, plus a wholly owned trading subsidiary.

Its service platform centres on the Macmillan Support Line (free telephone, email and chat support available 8am-8pm, seven days a week, staffed by cancer information specialist nurses), a 24/7 peer Online Community, financial guidance and Macmillan Grants, Macmillan Buddies telephone befriending, Macmillan at Work for employers, and an extensive library of cancer information booklets and digital resources available in 16 languages plus Braille, British Sign Language, easy-read and audio formats. The technology stack integrates standard fundraising infrastructure (Stripe, Worldpay, Sagepay, PayPal, Datacash, CommittedGiving, Shopify, JustGiving, Eventbrite), marketing automation (DotDigital, Engaging Networks, SmartSurvey), analytics (Google Analytics, Hotjar, Brandwatch, VWO), and an AI-assisted Smart Search semantic search capability, with Experian MOSAIC and BoardEx data feeding predictive donor scoring.

Macmillan is funded primarily through individual donations and fundraising events (Coffee Morning, Brave the Shave, Mighty Hikes, Go Sober, Longest Day Golf), corporate co-marketing partnerships (notably with Boots and N Brown Group's JD Williams brand), gifts in wills supported by a Free Will Service, a charity lottery and raffle, and merchandise sales routed through Macmillan Cancer Support Trading Limited. All direct services are provided free of charge, and in 2026 Macmillan extended its venture activity by participating in Infinitopes' £26 million seed financing round alongside Cancer Research Horizons, Octopus Ventures, Amplify Bio and Manta Ray Ventures.

Name

Macmillan Cancer Support

Legal name

Macmillan Cancer Support

Website

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Macmillan Cancer Support is a UK-registered charity founded in 1911 that provides free cancer information, emotional support and financial guidance to roughly 3-3.5 million people affected by cancer, supported by 1,500 employees and 28,000+ volunteers and funded through donations, corporate partnerships, legacies and lottery income.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Charitable healthcare
• Cancer information resources
• Patient financial guidance
• Cancer fundraising programs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, one-off and monthly, as well as fundraising through events like Coffee Morning, Mighty Hikes, Brave the Shave, and other community events.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Promotions: Corporate partnerships where companies donate based on product sales (e.g., Boots donating 50p per Soltan product sold) and co-marketing campaigns.
3. Legacies and Gifts in Wills: Individuals leave gifts to Macmillan in their wills. Macmillan offers a Free Will Service to encourage legacy giving.
4. Lottery and Raffle: Macmillan operates lotteries and prize draws as a fundraising mechanism.
5. Merchandise Sales: Macmillan Cancer Support Trading Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary, sells Christmas cards and other items, with all profits given to the charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Macmillan Cancer Support provides free cancer information, emotional support, financial guidance, and practical help to people in the UK affected by cancer through a Macmillan Support Line (phone, email, chat), a 24/7 Online Community forum, financial grants, Macmillan Buddies telephone befriending, local support services, and cancer information booklets in multiple languages and accessible formats. It also offers resources, training, and professional membership for healthcare professionals, an employer support program (Macmillan at Work), and operates fundraising campaigns and a charity online shop.

Product overview

Macmillan Cancer Support operates as a comprehensive cancer care charity offering a unified platform of support services rather than a traditional software product. The core offering consists of cancer information and support services, including the Macmillan Support Line (free confidential telephone and chat support), an Online Community forum, financial support and grants, local support services, healthcare professional resources, cancer information booklets and resources, and various fundraising programs. The organization also operates Macmillan at Work (employer support program), Macmillan Buddies (telephone befriending service), an online shop, and education and training services. These services are accessible through the main website, dedicated portals, and multiple channels including phone, chat, email, and in-person support centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Macmillan Support Line
• Online Community
• Cancer Information and Support Website

Quantifiable outcome

• £30 could help run the Online Community Forum for 1 hour, helping 80 people offer each other support.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration27 records

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BootscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 June 2026Boots partnered with Macmillan for a summer sun safety campaign. For every bottle of Soltan Clear & Cool Spray SPF50 sold, Boots donates 50p to Macmillan Cancer Support. Boots also offers 20% off its Mole Scanning Service until 19th July as part of the campaign.
• N Brown Group (JD Williams)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 April 2026N Brown Group's JD Williams brand partnered with Macmillan for the third edition of the WE SEE YOU campaign for Spring/Summer 2026. The campaign features Gok Wan and his charity single Deeper Love, with proceeds supporting Macmillan's work supporting women affected by cancer.
• NHS/York HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKing Charles visited the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Centre at York Hospital, a £2.4 million redevelopment that will support thousands of people living with cancer in the region each year. The centre involves Macmillan health professionals and patient representatives in its design and operation.
• Macmillan Cancer Support Trading LimitedcoreOthersA wholly owned subsidiary of Macmillan Cancer Support that sells Christmas cards and other items and carries out fundraising trading activities, with all profits given to the charity.
• Royal College of NursescoreOthersMacmillan has long recognised the Royal College of Nurses union in respect of its nurses. In 2025, Macmillan also recognised Unite for employees in eligible roles in Services division, and Community for other employees across Macmillan.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cancer Research UK: The UK's largest cancer charity, focused on research funding and awareness. Closest peer to Macmillan by mission scope (cancer), UK-only footprint, large-scale fundraising operations, and participation in the same Infinitopes financing round.
• Marie Curie: UK charity providing care and support for people with terminal illness, including cancer. Directly comparable to Macmillan on cancer support, hospice-aligned services, volunteer-driven model, and free end-of-life care and information services.
• Maggie's: UK cancer charity operating a network of cancer support centres offering emotional, practical, and social support. Directly comparable to Macmillan's local support centre strategy and free cancer information ethos, with a smaller but specialized footprint.
• Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent): UK charity supporting children and young people with cancer and their families. Comparable to Macmillan by cancer-specific mission, UK-only operation, free support services, and grant-funded financial assistance model.
• Hospice UK: National umbrella body for hospice and palliative care in the UK. Comparable on serious-illness support, bereavement services, and volunteer-led delivery, though more focused on hospice advocacy and palliative care than direct patient support.

Broad incumbents

• British Heart Foundation: One of the UK's largest health charities with comparable scale, multi-channel fundraising (charity shops, legacies, events), and a research-plus-support mandate. A broader incumbent in the large UK health charity category rather than a cancer specialist.
• Age UK: Large UK charity supporting older people with overlapping services (information, advice, financial guidance). Comparable in scale, donation-driven model, and information-line offering, though focused on age rather than cancer specifically.
• Mind: Major UK mental health charity with comparable footprint, fundraising methods, and information/support services. Overlaps with Macmillan where emotional and mental wellbeing support meets cancer-related psychological needs.
• RNLI: One of the UK's most recognized charities with comparable scale, volunteer-driven model, and high-volume event fundraising. Comparable as a benchmark large UK charity for donation and volunteer dynamics, not as a mission peer.

Others

• Macmillan Cancer Support Trading Limited: Wholly owned trading subsidiary of Macmillan Cancer Support that sells Christmas cards and merchandise with profits donated back. Included as an ecosystem entity rather than an external peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/macmillancancer
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/macmillancancer
• Facebookfacebook.com/macmillancancer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/25599
• Instagraminstagram.com/macmillancancer/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@macmillancancer

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments8 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Macmillan Cancer Support