Not Alone

We all have different backgrounds, we speak different languages, and see the world in different ways. And at the same time, we can share common understandings and hopes; that our children will grow up happy and safe, that the people closest to us will enjoy good health, that we might find ourselves at the heart of a community that supports us and gives us strength.

At Unity in Diversity, we see evidence of common empathy and humanity every day. People who’ve never suffered from an illness can reach out to those who do and offer them comfort. For 115 years MacMillan Cancer Support has built bridges to those who need that comfort the most. One in four people with cancer in the UK must face it without family or friends to help them. MacMillan’s army of staff and volunteers are combating this admirably, and they depend on the generosity of donors. In 2025 MacMillan raised a record £265.4 million, and the charity’s annual Coffee Morning Challenge saw supporters throughout the UK raise money by selling cakes in their homes and workplaces.

This year, Unity in Diversity community members joined together to help our friends at MacMillan. Women and men from four continents provided delicious home-made cakes, and on Thursday September 24th, we sold them, with every penny raised going to MacMillan Cancer Support.

UiD trustees Gemma Son and Redia Murema led the way, with Redia taking charge of cake sales and Gemma providing a hot meal to complement the sweet treats. Our friends at Swansea City of Sanctuary and ILA-Wales came along to support us, and the money we raised is already having an impact.

So where exactly do your MacMillan donations go?

£15 supports a personalised needs assessment and care plan for three people with cancer.

£25 helps run the Online Community forum for nearly one hour, letting people share experiences and support.

£50 pays for a Macmillan Nurse for over one hour to provide medical, practical, and emotional support.

£75 provides over 100 copies of The Cancer Guide booklet for newly diagnosed individuals and their families.

£187 provides eight sessions of emotional support from a Macmillan Buddy.

£305 pays for a Macmillan Nurse for a full day.

£1,000 spent on the Support Line helps the Welfare Rights Team uncover £26,100 in potential benefits for patients.

£3,000 funds weekly exercise sessions run by a local cancer support group for an entire year.

People shouldn’t have to face illness alone. People shouldn't have to face anything alone. The common empathy and humanity that spurs us to fundraising campaigns can also spur us to open our doors to our neighbours on all the days in between. On September 24th we opened our doors at our York Place drop-in session, and asylum seekers and refugees with plenty of demands on their time and resources made the choice to give whatever they could for people whose faces they may never see and whose voices they may never hear. They chose to be kind.

Our friends at MacMillan Cancer Support are grateful for it.