Cancer Information Events
Cancer information events (sometimes called Health and Wellbeing Events or Cancer Information Support Groups) are designed to help people affected by cancer and their family and friends get the support they need during and after cancer treatment.
These events can be specific to your cancer or can be open to people with any cancer diagnosis.
Health and wellbeing events provide information and support on:
- Benefits and other financial support
- Diet and lifestyle
- Long-term side-effects of treatment
- Local services.
Evidence has shown that patients who attended a health and wellbeing event have:
- Better knowledge of the signs and symptoms of cancer recurrence and consequences of treatment.
- More confidence to question or challenge information and make informed decisions about their health.
- More confidence to deal with the physical discomfort and emotional distress associated with cancer and its treatment.
- A strong sense of reassurance – even if the services are not needed at that time, they know what’s available and how to access them in the future.
If you haven’t been given an invite to a cancer information event and would like to find out more then please speak to your CNS, or a member of the Macmillan Information and Support Service.
Upcoming events
Are you undergoing cancer treatment, or have you completed treatment in the last 12 months?
Would you like support with the physical effects of cancer treatment?
Residents of North Lancashire and South Cumbria living with cancer can benefit from a free two-hour ‘Look Good Feel Better’ makeup and skincare workshop.
Booking is essential.
To register your interest in attending or to make a booking please contact the Macmillan Information and Support Service (MCISS) team directly who will be happy to support you and advise on upcoming dates and times.
Telephone: 01524 519578 or 07972639424
Email: macmillan.info@mbht.nhs.uk
Residents of North Lancashire and South Cumbria living with and beyond cancer can benefit from a free Macmillan course.
Facilitated by the Macmillan Information and Support Service (MCISS) team at University Hospitals Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, the HOPE course (Helping to Overcome Problems Effectively) assists people get their lives back on track after cancer treatment.
An array of topics is covered, and various strategies are used during the 2 ½ hour face to face sessions held over 6 consecutive weeks. The course helps people rediscover their strengths and make the most of the positive things in life, whilst addressing concerns in relation to fear of cancer returning.
The course is run with a small group of up to 12 mixed participants. Feedback has highlighted participants benefit from sharing experiences and peer support.
Courses: Ulverston April 2025, Barrow-in-Furness September 2025 & Lancaster 2026.
Participants are required to attend all the six sessions and booking is essential.
To register your interest in attending or to make a booking please contact the MCISS team who will be happy to support you.
Telephone: 01524 519578 / 07972639424 Email: macmillan.info@mbht.nhs.uk
Are you preparing for, or currently going through cancer treatment? Prehabilitation, or preventative rehabilitation is well documented to improve quality of life for cancer patients and patient outcomes.
Football club community organisations (CCOs) across Lancashire and South Cumbria are coming together to help people with cancer to prepare for treatment.
From January 2025, the CCOs of the region’s eight English Football League sides will all be offering free ‘prehab’ training sessions to adult cancer patients age 18 +, with the goal of improving their health and fitness for those facing or undergoing cancer treatment or surgery.
The one-year pilot programme, has been launched in collaboration with the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) Cancer Alliance, will see the community organisations from Accrington Stanley, Barrow AFC, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool FC, Burnley FC, Fleetwood Town, Morecambe FC, and Preston North End hosting two-hour sessions aimed at encouraging patients to be more active as well as offering a chance for social and mental wellbeing support.
Each session will include an hour of personalised exercise, followed by an opportunity to sit down with a brew and a biscuit whilst chatting with other attendees. When possible, the Macmillan Information and Support Service MCISS Team will also be in attendance, to provide advice and support where required.
The MCISS team from University Hospitals Morecambe Bay are supporting Barrow AFC Foundation and Morecambe Community Foundation with the Cancer Prehab.
For further information and to self-refer and book your place please contact -
The Shrimps Cancer Prehab, Morecambe Football Club. Contact admin@morecambefccf.com Tel 01524 412125
The Bluebirds Cancer Prehab, Barrow AFC, Contact Emmanuel Angelo m.allen@barrowafc.com Tel 01229 666010
The MCISS team can also be contacted for further information on 01524 519578.
Previous events
A Health and Wellbeing Event for cancer patients took place on 19 April 2024 in Kendal.
Patients who had recently been diagnosed with cancer, or had received cancer treatment in the past, were invited to drop in and browse information stalls that included:
- Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service
- Bowel Screening Service
- Breast Screening Service
- Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists and Cancer Support Workers
- CancerCare
- St John’s Hospice Services
- Citizens Advice Bureau
There were also representatives providing information on:
- Bay Health Festival
- Personalised care
- Physical activity
- Healthy lifestyle advice
- Breast prostheses
- Psychosocial support
- Stoma care
- Wig service
Staff were also invited to improve their knowledge and skills to support cancer patients. Speakers presented on the following topics:
- Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation
- Living with a Stoma
- Therapies, Help and Support – CancerCare
- Psychosocial Support
- UHMB Health Festival
- Lymphoedema
Videos and photos
Watch videos from the event on the Youtube playlist.
Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service Team
Singing Traditional Shanties, The Mizzen Crew
Paddlers for Life Windermere | Breast cancer survivor dragon boat team
Patient Feedback
What did you find particularly helpful?
- Lovely people - kind and helpful
- Macmillan and Breast Cancer Support Worker
- Therapy sessions and employment information
- Breast forms and Bra advice
- Wig lady
- Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisor
- Lots of useful leaflets
- Good to have the opportunity to talk to people who understand the problems.
- People very informative and could point you to other contacts for more help.
- Everyone was extremely friendly and encouraging
- CancerCare
- Chaplain very helpful
- This event was diverse and enriching.
Staff Feedback
What did you like most about the Event?
- Chance to meet professionals face to face on their stands
- Great chance to meet and talk to the Macmillan team and the guys from CancerCare who all do a fantastic job
- Presentations were varied and interesting
- It was really informative and interesting
- The content was very relevant to mental and physical health
- Strategies and tactics suitably contextualised with a knowledgeable audience
- Leadership very interesting and useful for learning
- Services provided by CancerCare
- The event was excellent. Informative, educational and inspiring. Really enjoyed the whole day.
- The focus on how to improve outcomes following a diagnosis of cancer.
What topics would you like to be covered in the next Event?
- Personalised Care interventions eg HNAs, Care Plans, Treatment Summaries etc
- Resilience of key workers and how to identify and remedy burnout
- Early diagnosis
- Training opportunities
- Mental health and psychological wellbeing and how we can support our patients
- More patient stories
- What the future treatments and pathways for cancer patients may look like.
Marketstall Feedback
What did you like most about the Event?
- To network and make connections with other teams and services to help patients
- Chance meet up with patients
- Range of providers/ areas covered
- Great chance to network with local groups. I learnt some useful info relating to the Paddlers and CancerCare
- Interacting with patients in general and learning about the great work that Macmillan and other companies
- Brilliant engaging speakers and interesting topics
- Swapping ideas and sharing what is going on
- Networking with other stallholders.
- Raising awareness of the support on offer for patients and health professionals
Is there anything we could have done differently?
- Better advertising
- Venue with better parking and a bigger room for presentations
- If people agree to attend and have a table, then they should be strongly advised to stay for the whole event
- Other events in Lancaster and Barrow-in-Furness
- List of stalls and contacts so that any conversation could be followed up much easier