THE COUNTDOWN to Macmillan Cancer Support’s annual Coffee Morning in the West Midlands is underway.
The event which raises vital funds to support for people living with cancer is this year celebrating its 30th birthday.
Macmillan Coffee Morning has traditionally seen hundreds of thousands of people tuck into cakes and enjoy a cuppa with pals, neighbours and strangers.
And despite the Covid crisis there are still lots of different ways for people to get involved. The official Coffee Morning is on Friday September 25 but supporters are encouraged to hold their event whenever suits them, while ensuring social distancing.
Every 90 seconds someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer. We’re doing everything we can to provide vital emotional, financial or clinical support for people living with cancer who are going through a challenging time.
Before Covid-19, many patients told Macmillan that being diagnosed with cancer and going through treatment was the scariest thing that they could imagine.
These anxieties and concerns have not gone away during the pandemic – they have been made worse by this crisis – meaning Macmillan needs support more than ever before.
The charity’s work is almost entirely funded by donations and every penny raised at a Coffee Morning helps us to provide vital support to people with cancer. This could include:
£10 – could help run our vital phone service for cancer patients, and could lead to our welfare rights advisers on our Macmillan Support Line helping people affected by cancer to claim £396 in benefits they are entitled to.
£30 – could pay for 50 copies of cancer information booklets. These booklets are one of our most popular resources, offering advice and information on sources of support to people affected by cancer, who may experience a wide range of emotions including fear, loneliness, and anger.
£60 – could pay for a Macmillan grant that buys a good quality liquidiser for someone who can’t eat solid food as a result of their cancer or treatment.
£100 – could pay for a health professional to attend a specialised conference on approaches to cancer treatment, run by Macmillan.
£150 – could pay for a Macmillan grant that buys new clothes for someone experiencing a change in weight or body shape while undergoing cancer treatment, helping them feel better about the way they look.
£200 – could pay for the training of a person affected by cancer to become a Cancer Support Course facilitator. This is an accredited course which develops participants’ cancer awareness, communication and counselling skills to better support other people affected by cancer.
Kate Thomas, Macmillan fund-raising manager, said: “We’re incredibly excited about Coffee Morning 2020, it’s always so fantastic to see so many people get involved to raise crucial funds to allow us to help the people who need us.
“Whether you host an event at home or at work, in the morning or evening, bake a showstopper or buy one of the limited edition products from our headline partner Marks & Spencer – the money you raise will enable Macmillan to continue providing these vital services. Every Coffee Morning changes lives.
“Demand for our cancer support services is greater than ever, but, due to coronavirus, we are facing a significant drop in our income. The truth is that we can’t continue to be there for all the people who need us without your support.
“We are doing everything we can to help address the immediate and unique challenges that having cancer during this pandemic brings but we need support. Donations are vital to enable us to continue to be there for people living with cancer.”
Visit macmillan.org.uk/coffee to sign up and for further details.
