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Katy, Clare, Abi, Charley and Heidi and their partners have been able to find comfort in each other as they continue treatment for their advanced triple-negative breast cancer.

I remember those early conversations with Bryn, the Centre Head at Maggie's Royal Marsden: “Where are people my age? Where are the other black people going through treatment?” The centre put me in contact with three others, and we are still friends today.

Alex was 33 years old and working as an Army Officer when he was diagnosed with stage 4 testicular cancer. He talks about how Maggie's supports his family and what running the London Marathon means to him.

After the shock of finding out her cancer was back, Mary put one foot in front of the other to complete the Camino de Santiago and start living her life to the full.

My mum's name was Pat. She was a bubbly, outgoing character with lots of friends. Her kids, her family and animals meant the most to her; going on walks with her dog Buddy was her idea of heaven.

Ray's prostate cancer was detected in a blood test after having a stroke. He shares how Maggie's helped him find suitable accommodation, as well as a sense of optimism and humour.

My diagnosis was a shock. No one seemed to be concerned about my symptoms, not my GP, nor my consultant. Then suddenly I was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer.

I’d heard about how lovely Maggie’s was through friends. So, in April, when I was diagnosed with anal cancer, I knew exactly where to go for support.

My wife Helen found a lump in her breast when our daughters were just 18 months and 5 years old. She was determined our whole family would have somewhere to go for support, and Maggie’s Edinburgh became a second home to us all.

I’m a professional musician and I’ve been fortunate enough to play the drums alongside legendary artists.

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We were speaking to a speech and language therapist about what to do next. Wilson was recovering in hospital after his throat surgery. They said if you go to Maggie’s, they’ll help. There was nothing, we felt lost - until then.

I started having investigations in April 2022 – an ultrasound, then an urgent CT scan. I was told I had a sinister growth on my pancreas. I knew exactly what that meant.

We’d just got the news, and were in that panic mode – where you don’t know where you are, what’s going on, which way is up or down.

In 2015, my husband Dave was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Since then he’s had numerous courses of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. He is on permanent chemotherapy that he has every day through a port.

When I got my original breast cancer diagnosis, I was told that I would only need a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and tablets. And I felt kind of ok about that. But then things changed in the autumn, the diagnosis changed to grade three.

I remember having the Victoria Derbyshire show in my living room in the background one Saturday. It was an episode about breast cancer, with a part on how to examine your breasts.