Recently, Macmillan Cancer Support held one of its major high-profile annual fundraising events – the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. The aim of this meeting is to spur individuals and organizations to host coffee and cake sales and invite people to make donations and raise money for the charity. It involved a simple act of getting together with friends and family and simply asking for a donation in return for a cake and cuppa.
Although the first nationwide coffee morning was held in 1991 with about 2,600 registered people willing to host one, the actual first coffee morning took place in 1990. A coffee morning was organized by a small fundraising committee and the money raised was donated to Macmillan. Since then more and more people have been registering. Macmillan holds the Guinness World Record for the Largest Simultaneous Coffee Party.
A record £10m was raised during 2011’s Worlds’ Biggest Coffee Morning to help people affected by cancer. This was announced by Macmillan in February 2012. From garden parties to pub quizzes, the coffee mornings have diversified into many different fundraising events over the years. These include several world record attempts such as the world’s deepest coffee morning held in Poldark Mine, Cornwall in 2002, the most distant coffee morning held in Antarctica in 2002 and the highest coffee morning organized on a jet fighter in 2004.
While campaigning for better cancer care, this fun event created by Macmillan is designed to help create awareness and raise money that the charity can use to provide financial, practical, emotional and medical support for people living with cancer. Every registered member can raise money and host their own event. The goal of hosting this event is to ensure that no one faces cancer alone.
Known as Macmillan’s biggest fundraising event, the coffee morning is mainly organized for those with cancer and also provide people with an opportunity to host their own tea party so as to be able to raise money for the charity. For a number of years now, the event has been partnered by Marks & Spencer which has also contributed to its success. According to reports, many M&S customers have not only liked Macmillan but have also donated to the charity in the last 12 months.
No doubt, Macmillan Cancer Support has been successful at implementing effective local and grassroots events through the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning campaign. The simplicity and accessibility involved is the key to this success. It is very easy to organize and participate in this event.
Hosting a coffee morning is a great way of doing something charitable and catching up with friends at the same time. An increase in donations is the real marker of such a campaign. Nevertheless, the charity is very pleased to have people talking about it.
