Macmillan Coffee Morning is a fundraising powerhouse that raises tens of millions of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support each year. So you might be surprised to hear that it had very humble beginnings. It started with a group of friends and a simple idea: to get together over coffee and donate the cost of their drink to Macmillan. Fast forward nearly 35 years, and Macmillan Coffee Mornings come in all shapes and sizes. You can still find people gathering over a slice of cake and a hot drink, but fundraisers have taken the concept and made it their own with events held anywhere and everywhere, from football clubs and drag bars, to yoga studios and classic car shows.
Despite the name, events don’t actually have to involve coffee or even be held in the morning. A Macmillan Coffee Morning could include games and quizzes, fancy dress, cocktail making or chai and chaat – whatever fundraisers feel will best bring their friends, colleagues, school or community together to do something amazing for people living with cancer. If simple but effective is most up your street, the classic Coffee Morning still works a treat, and Macmillan provides all the resources you need to make it a success – from invitations to posters and fundraising ideas. Everything except the coffee and cake, that is.
A holistic approach to cancer care
So what does Macmillan Coffee Morning support? As a charity, Macmillan goes the extra mile for people living with cancer throughout diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Macmillan’s approach reflects the fact that cancer can affect every part of a person’s life – call Macmillan’s support line and you can receive practical advice on working-life and cancer, managing money, dealing with rising energy costs and more. Macmillan’s welfare rights advisers are accredited, impartial and specially trained to give callers accurate and useful guidance. Their job is to maximise a household’s income, supporting those living with cancer to access the benefits, grants and financial support they are entitled to.
Navigating diagnosis and treatment can be a blur of hospital appointments and confusing terminology, which is why chats with Macmillan’s experienced cancer nurses are available both over the phone and online. Interpreters are on hand for those who don’t speak English, and British Sign Language-supported calls can be arranged via the website.
Loneliness can often go hand in hand with cancer, even for those surrounded by loved ones, so Macmillan has created a Buddies scheme to connect patients with people who know firsthand what it’s like to have the disease. They even offer in-person meetups for those in need of some face time.
As well as helping people on a person-to-person basis, Macmillan also advocates for the more than 3 million people living with cancer in the UK. This involves calling on governments to cut waiting times for cancer tests and treatments, providing training to help workplaces better support employees affected by cancer, and carrying out research to continually improve patient wellbeing. One in two people in the UK will develop some form of cancer, so there’s serious power in the kind of support Macmillan provides – and the support of those who choose to fundraise for the charity.
Every pound raised matters
The more people Macmillan can help, the better, and that’s where your Coffee Morning comes in. The fundraising phenomenon is proof of the power of small groups – in 2023, £18m was raised in total.
There’s often a sense of anxiety that can come with fundraising, specifically worrying about not fundraising “enough”. But Macmillan Coffee Morning is all about collective might, so even small amounts can have a huge impact. And the stats don’t lie. Here’s a breakdown of what can be done with your donations.
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£7 could cover the cost of a nurse offering a patient a personalised electronic holistic needs assessment and care plan.
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£67 could help Macmillan Line’s welfare advisers deal with a call or online enquiry.
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£78 could help run Macmillan’s Online Community for more than three hours, providing practical and emotional support for people affected by cancer.
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£200 could pay for a Macmillan grant to help a family member affected by cancer to pay for energy bills, hospital travel or home adaptations.
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£673 could pay for a Macmillan support worker for a week, helping patients, relatives and carers manage the social and practical impacts of cancer.
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£1,012 could support Macmillan to run the welfare rights element of its phone service for an hour. In this time, the team could, on average, deal with 15 calls and online enquiries and help secure around £25,000 in unclaimed benefits for people affected by cancer.
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£1,240 could pay for a Macmillan nurse for a week, to help people living with cancer and their relatives receive medical, practical and emotional support.
That means that even if your Coffee Morning raises less than you’d hoped, it will be gratefully received by Macmillan. So what are you waiting for? Get together, and get cracking.
Want to get involved? Sign up to host a Macmillan Coffee Morning at macmillan.org.uk/coffee-morning
Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SCO39907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland.
