Cancer support with Joining the Dots

Macmillan Joining the Dots County Durham is a free, personal service for people aged 18 and over who live or are registered with a GP within County Durham and have been directly affected by cancer. We’re also there for people who directly care for people who have a cancer diagnosis.

We can discuss your needs at a time and place that suits you. Our friendly team can support you with the following non-medical issues that you, or someone you care for, may experience due to a cancer diagnosis. We can support with:

Even if you think you don’t need help and support right now, we can listen to you and make sure that you have the right information and support when you need it.

What we do

What to expect when you speak to a facilitator for the first time:

We will talk to you about your needs and how we can help you (we call this a Holistic Needs Assessment)
We will draw up an action plan based on your needs
We know what kind of support is available in our local communities, including agencies and organisations; we can coordinate all of these to help you
We know that your needs may change, so we work flexibly with you to ensure you get the right support

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Feedback

"You helped me at my lowest. I will never forget your words, ‘it’s not going to last forever’. They really helped me, and the breathing exercises you sent. You helped me no end, you’ve done a cracking job. "
"Thank you for all you have done for my patient; let’s keep in contact. She trusts you so much and you have built up a lovely rapport with the whole family. "
"Thank you for understanding and for making me realise that there is no shame in asking for help. The GP has been in contact and they are prescribing some medication to help. "
"Thanks for speaking to Mum, it’s really helped and she is prepared to have the support now. "
"Thanks for helping me understand my treatment pathway, and making it happen. I have had so many letters and have had to be at so many different places. I couldn’t make sense of it but I understand so much more now. "
"Thank you for coming to see us, we really struggle over the phone and this has been so helpful. "
"I’m very grateful for all the information and support from Joining the Dots,I didn’t know half of this was available. "
"Thank you for helping me to look at the potential of moving to my desired care home and with filling out the forms. "
"Thanks for the help with work and employment advice, I didn’t know my rights, now I do. "
"I feel able to cope better with all the support I have around me, I’m very grateful. "
"I feel a lot better after speaking to you, I got lots of fears off my chest. Thanks for your support. "
"I really appreciate your call, it’s good to know there is someone there when I need help. "

How we've helped

Lynne's story - the difference Macmillan Joining the Dots made

Lynne Carr recently shared a heartfelt and deeply personal account of her cancer journey and the support she received from Macmillan Joining the Dots (JTD). Through regular conversations with Karen, JTD Facilitator, Lynne found not only practical guidance but also someone who truly listened, understood her as a person, and helped her navigate the challenges that...

a photograph of lynne wearing a bright flowered dress. She is superimposed against a blue background. to the right of Lynne's photograph is a green background with the words 'Hear Lynne's journey of support with Macmillan Joining the Dots'.

“Finding strength through support: Dolly's cancer journey”

Macmillan Joining the Dots works across County Durham to support people living with and beyond cancer by connecting them to the right services at the right time. Through a personalised, holistic approach, the service brings together health, wellbeing and community support to help individuals manage both the physical and emotional impact of cancer. This case study...

A lady wearing a headscarf and glasses is looking directly at the camera. She is wearing bright clothing.

Emma's special day made possible thanks to Joining the Dots and County Durham support

Emma, a mother of two, was referred to Joining the Dots in 2024 by the Macmillan Information Centre following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2022. She remained strong, even as she faced a recurrence in 2024 and a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer in 2025. Emma continued to receive supportive care and was surrounded by the...

How HOPE helped me

We spoke to Lynne Carr earlier this year when she shared how Joining the Dots had supported her throughout her breast cancer journey. Now finished treatment Lynne attended a six week course HOPE is a course developed by Macmillan Cancer Support and Coventry University to support you after cancer treatment. Each course is run by a...

A member of the Joining the Dots team is sat at a desk on the right of the image. Text is displayed on boxes next to her. Find HOPE here. Help to Overcome Problems Effectively The initials of the four words spell HOPE

Like having my own personal google: How Joining the Dots empowered Lynne with tailored support"

Lynne Carr describes her experience with Joining the Dots as like having her own personal google search that knew exactly what she was looking for. Diagnosed in October 2023 with breast cancer she said the experience felt like a blur. As a family educator who supports adult wellbeing, she understood the process of accessing services, but...

Lynne is sat in the sunshine and is smiling. She is wearing a blue dress with flowers on and her greying hair is cut in a short style.

His day-to-day living was becoming increasingly difficult …

We recently worked with an elderly gentleman who had recently been diagnosed with cancer and who lives alone but with the support of his family. He was starting to find day to day living increasingly difficult. His main concern was his daughter who was providing most of his care, supporting him with his medication, meals and...

An old man sitting outside with his daughter next to him. They both seem content. The quote on the photo says 'I feel so well supported now and I feel I can give my Dad the best care, which is what he deserves.'

Celebrating the good stuff…

A client had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was going through radiotherapy treatment when she contacted Joining the Dots for support. Joining the Dots Facilitator Sonia Reay, supported her with her finances initially, with a referral to Macmillan Welfare Rights. However, as treatment progressed, she found out that the cancer had spread and unfortunately there...

A bouquet of flowers with purple roses and jewels. The quote on the picture says 'Thank you, we didn’t think about flowers and they really made the day feel special.'

Help for 90-year-old gentleman to access much needed pain medication

A Joining the Dots facilitator recently visit a 90-year-old gentleman with terminal facial cancer and suspected pancreatic cancer. The gentleman’s palliative care nurse had been supporting with pain management and he had been prescribed some pain medication. When we spoke to the gentleman it became apparent this medication was due to run out in a couple...

Someone pouring tablets into their hand out of a brown bottle. The quote on the picture says 'We helped ‘join the dots’ to make sure that this gentleman had his prescribed pain medication, when he needed it, to have a comfortable weekend.'

Helping create a safe comfortable home

An 80 year old lady with terminal lung cancer had recently moved into supported accommodation due to her deteriorating health. Her family had been helping to get her settled but she needed further support to move furniture and with some other small jobs. She couldn’t do these herself but felt guilty asking her family to support...

A lady with grey hair holding a red phone and sitting in a red chair. She is looking at the camera and smiling. The quote on the picture says 'She is now able to access the support she needs to create a safe, comfortable home for herself.'

We had a fantastic time, it was perfect timing…

Joining the Dots had been working with a gentleman receiving palliative care and whose daughter was struggling to see the change in her dad whilst receiving treatment. Our facilitator spoke to St. Teresa’s Hospice to access some support for the family and Team Solan who provided the family with days out. At Christmas time we successfully...

A picture of a man and his 3 children in winter clothes and hats sitting on a red sleigh, smiling at the camera. The quote on the picture reads 'It was a lovely experience and my little girl loved it.'

They have been so helpful, and the food parcel was excellent

Joining the Dots supported a lady with a breast cancer diagnosis, who was living in temporary accommodation with her children. The temporary accommodation was out of her local area, where her family and support networks were. She was looking for some financial support as she was struggling with the cost of living. She was looking for...

3 women in line at a foodbank looking at the various grocery items in the baskets. The quote on the picture says 'Thanks for your help and suggesting the foodbank for me, they have been so helpful, and the food parcel was excellent.'

Cancer survivor speaks of top support from Joining the Dots

Sue Turner spoke of the support she had received from Joining the Dots over four years. Sue is a breast cancer survivor who received her diagnoses one week after the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020 first started. She also lives with Fibromyalgia, a long-term chronic condition which causes mobility issues and means she is reliant on her...

a lady, Claire Welsh, dressed in Joining the Dots uniform is stood next to a lady in a wheelchair, Sue Turner.

Cancer support resources

Stay proactive and informed with our Cancer support resources, helping you take meaningful steps in the right direction.

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Balance North East

Encouraging people to reduce their consumption –and reduce the impact that alcohol is having on the North East
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Macmillan Cancer Support

Macmillan Cancer Support can help right from the moment of diagnosis, through treatment and beyond.
News

Macmillan Chief Executive Officer visits County Durham Joining the Dots project

The County Durham Macmillan Joining the Dots team welcomed Gemma Peters, Chief Executive Officer of Macmillan and her Senior Leadership Team recently to showcase their exceptional work with people...
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Smoke-Free County Durham

A dedicated regional programme set up to tackle the worst rates of smoking related illness and death in England
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Move County Durham/Thrive

If you’d like to move more, get out and about, enjoy the outdoors, improve your mental health and wellbeing or make some new friends then why not...
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Every Mind Matters

Having good mental health helps us relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more. There are simple things we can all do to look after our...

Brought to you by Joining the Dots

Joining the Dots supports people aged 18 and over to live well when they have received a cancer diagnosis, are going through cancer treatment or are living beyond their diagnosis.