The Open House

Client: Macmillan Cancer Support

Cancer care is not equal. For many people in Black and South Asian communities, cancer is surrounded by silence, stigma and a deep rooted mistrust of health institutions. Macmillan Cancer Support needed to find a new way to reach and build relevance with these communities to ensure they would reach out for vital support when they needed it. But how do you change deep-seated mistrust?

The Macmillan Open House transformed cancer support into something people recognised and felt safe within. A real house, built for and with the community, shaped by cultural cues that felt warm, familiar and human. No clinics. No leaflets. No lectures. Just open conversation. Across 2 days, creators, community leaders and people with lived experience came together to talk about cancer, faith, family, food, money, mental health, love and loss. The results were transformative. Perception that Macmillan is committed to culturally sensitive support increased by 363% and there was a 62% uplift in the belief that "Macmillan is for people like me" based on surveyed attendees. The rich and varied creator content generated over 5million views, achieving 190% of target. And engagement rates were 12x higher than the industry benchmark. Crucially, Open House turned reach into advocacy. 100% of participants and creators would now recommend Macmillan services and 93% are ready to act as brand advocates. Open House did not just open a door. It built trust and gave a voice to communities too often silenced in the cancer conversation.