Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Cancer charity Macmillan accused of 'racism and bullying', staff allege 'a massive covering up culture'

A review commissioned by the charity said staff spoke about both overt and covert racism and ableism

Cancer charity Macmillan accused of 'racism and bullying', staff allege 'a massive covering up culture'

A “painful” internal review at Macmillan Cancer Support said the workplace culture at the British charity was “systematically racist” where complaints were “brushed under the carpet”, media reports said.

The review, conducted by Social Justice Collective, found that bullying and exclusion were widespread at the charity whose approach to diversity was “superficial, tokenistic or theoretical.”

According to the report seen by The Times, no concern was raised when the “P**i” word was used in an online meeting attended by the staff.

It also refers to an incident where a senior staff member told his colleague to make sure a Muslim fundraising group which visited its offices went through a security check.

The report commissioned by the charity’s leadership said, “Staff described an organisational culture at Macmillan that is systematically racist and ableist. Staff spoke in detail about, and shared examples of, racism and ableism — both overt and covert. Reported behaviours and incidents ranged from discriminatory comments and microaggressions to exclusion and bullying. Many staff reported acutely oppressive and painful experiences that had impacted and continue to impact on their mental health and wellbeing.”

A staff member also complained of “a massive covering up culture” at the London-based organisation which provides advice and support to cancer patients.

“While many staff spoke about individual allies or positive relationships, Macmillan was frequently described as an oppressive and unsafe environment for minoritised staff to work in, let alone to thrive, feel valued or a true sense of belonging,” according to the report which is marked “strictly confidential”.

Macmillan, which has an annual income of £195 million, apologised to the staff who felt discriminated against and admitted the report made a “painful reading”.

It also vowed to address the issues and said it was “profoundly sorry that anyone has ever suffered a distressing or harmful experience at Macmillan”.

Steven McIntosh, executive director of advocacy and communications said, “we are committed to making sure their strength in speaking up will help us make the changes needed to move us forwards.

“The findings of this report serve as a powerful and humbling demonstration of how much more we have to do in order to support our colleagues who identify as disabled and/or ethnically diverse, and we are determined to do so. We know we have fallen short both in culture and processes, and we will urgently address this to ensure that everyone at Macmillan feels valued and safe as we continue to deliver on our mission to ensure that everyone can live well with cancer.”

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less