Kind-hearted Southwark donors to Macmillan Cancer Support gave £67,700 in grants to residents in the borough living with cancer and suffering financial hardship last year.
The grants help to cover the cost of heating, clothes and travel for cancer patients, as well as other essentials to manage the impact of the condition.
Around £27,000 was given to pay for heating and clothing, as living with cancer can mean feeling the cold more, or spending more time at home with the heating on.
And nearly £7,000 was given to people living with cancer to help them travel to and from appointments, costs that sometimes cannot be reclaimed from the hospital.
Londoners as a whole were given £1.4million in grants, with those living with breast cancer being the most common recipients.
Ed Tallis, Macmillan’s Head of Services for London, said: “Half of us will get cancer at some point in our lives so it’s reassuring to know that last year alone, Macmillan awarded around £1.4million in grants to Londoners who were struggling with the financial hardship that cancer can bring.
“Cancer can affect so many parts of your life and our Macmillan grants, funded by our supporters, covered essentials like heating bills and hospital travel costs for around 3,919 Londoners in 2018, helping to make money one less worry.”
The charity estimates that four in five patients experience a financial impact, the average cost being around £570 a month.
This occurs because people’s incomes go down while out of work, while illness-related expenses increase, the charity said.
“Cancer is really tough on people’s finances but grants are just one way that Macmillan is there for people with cancer thanks to the public’s support and I’d urge anyone with cancer to get in touch to find out how we can support you,” Mr Tallis added.
Further information about Macmillan’s grants can be found by calling the Macmillan Support Line free on 0808 808 0000 or visit macmillan.org.uk/moneyworries.