I called into a few Macmillan Coffee Mornings on Friday in South Holland – they were certainly all very busy and hundreds of cakes had been made to help raise money for Macmillan.
I couldn’t believe how many supporters there were from our community.
I spoke to Caroline Naylor who was one of the ladies who had worked hard the previous day and baked cakes.
Caroline told me the background of Douglas Macmillan. Here’s what she said: “In 1911 a young man named Douglas Macmillan watched his father die of cancer. His pain and suffering moved Douglas so much he founded The Society for the Prevention and Relief of Cancer.
“Douglas wanted advice and help, both physical and financial, to be provided to all people with cancer alongside nurses to support patients in their own homes.
“From small beginnings Macmillan Cancer Support now aims to help and advise anyone wherever they are in the country.
“The first Macmillan Coffee Morning happened in 1990. It was a rather simple idea, where guests would gather over coffee and donate the cost of the cuppa to the charity.
“The Spalding and Holbeach Fundraising Committee were in there from the beginning and in 1990 held their first coffee morning in the show house on Broadgate in Holland Park.
“It was the large house on the corner of Horseshoe Road and was a great success as our visitors were able to look around the show house too.
“Since then well over £200 million has been raised through coffee mornings alone and it is one of the main sources of fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support.”
Moving on to 2022 and after a rocky couple of COVID years, the coffee mornings are back in full swing all over the country.
On or around Friday, September 30, the green and white balloons and banners can be seen in the villages and towns as houses and halls are filled with friends, families and supporters having coffee, cake and chatting whilst raising much needed funds.
And after all the fun, socialising and collection of tombola and raffle prizes and trying not to squash the cake, it is time to add up the money raised.
Because Macmillan’s aim of providing services for families living with cancer at every stage of their cancer experience does not come without a cost.
To provide emotional, practical, physical and financial support where needed is a very expensive exercise.
And, as it is 98 per cent funded by voluntary donations, this fundraising is essential to make sure of delivering the vital support that people living with a cancer diagnosis need.
This is where local committees come in.
The Spalding and Holbeach group of fundraisers raise funds by organising events or standing with buckets in supermarkets.
Since starting up in the 1960s hundreds of thousands of pounds have been raised in this small area thanks to the support and generosity of local people and businesses.
If anyone would like to be involved with the local committee and would like to put on an event of their own in support of Macmillan please contact the committee or make yourselves known to them at the Pumpkin or Christmas markets, or in the supermarkets.
They have plenty of spare buckets.
Jan Whitbourn
via email
