About us
At the end of 2020 the Castle Cary and District committee had raised over £480,000 since its inception.
Please help us to reach our £500,000 milestone in 2021!
The Castle Cary and District Committee has a very special connection with Douglas Macmillan as he was born in Castle Cary on 10 August 1884.
The death of his father from cancer, in 1911, left a deep impression on Macmillan and the following year, despite having no medical background himself, he founded the Society for the Prevention and Relief of Cancer with £10 that his father had given him before he died. The National Health Service (NHS) had yet to be established and public health was not yet a priority for the state.
In setting up the society, Macmillan "wanted to see homes for cancer patients throughout the land, where attention will be provided freely or at low cost, as circumstances dictate... [and]... panels of voluntary nurses who can be detailed off to attend to necessitous patients in their own homes.” Macmillan managed the charity, along with other volunteers, while working full-time as a civil servant in London. In 1930 the charity took on its first full-time member of staff. The organisation he founded has since flourished and is today known as Macmillan Cancer Support.
Douglas moved back to Castle Cary when he retired and lived there until he died, of cancer, on 9 January 1969 at his home aged 85.
The local Committee and it’s group of loyal volunteers raise money to support the charity which, along with many charities, is facing very difficult times during the pandemic. The health and wellbeing of our supporters, volunteers and people living with cancer is our top priority during this unprecedented and challenging time.
About Macmillan Cancer Support
Macmillan Cancer Support has spent more than 100 years helping people living with cancer. We know that cancer can disrupt your whole life. And it can be made worse simply because of who you are and where you live.
But we’re here to change that.
The number of people diagnosed with cancer is growing, and every one of them needs the best support to meet their unique needs.
That's why we'll do whatever it takes to help everyone living with cancer across the UK get the support they need right now and transform cancer care for everyone who will be diagnosed in the future.
Help us reach the people living with cancer who need us most. To donate, volunteer, raise money or campaign with us, call 0300 1000 200 or visit macmillan.org.uk.
The Castle Cary & District Committee is a group of volunteers who fundraise for Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604), also operating in Northern Ireland.
