World's Biggest Coffee Morning is a fundraising event run by Macmillan Cancer Support. Each year since 1990, people across the UK host and attend Coffee Mornings in aid of Macmillan. The donations received go towards Macmillan services. In 2016, World's Biggest Coffee Morning raised £29.8 million to help provide support to people who have cancer across the UK.
History
The first Coffee Morning was held in 1990, when a local fundraising committee held a coffee morning where the cost of the coffee was donated to Macmillan. The first nationwide Coffee Morning took place in 1991 with 2,600 supporters taking part. The World's Biggest Coffee Morning is one of the largest and longest-standing fundraising events of its kind in the United Kingdom.
Over the years, some fundraising actions taken by Coffee Morning hosts have included a Coffee Morning 100 feet underground in Poldark mine in Cornwall, a Coffee Morning on a jet fighter and a Coffee Morning being held in Antarctica.
Corporate supporters
The official partner of coffee morning is M&S. Since 2010, M&S have raised £10 million by creating limited edition homeware products and selling a range of baked goods with a donation going towards Macmillan Cancer Support.
Notable participants
Alesha Dixon, English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, and television personality Larry Lamb, English actor Mrs Stephen Fry, blogger, author and award-winning Tweeter (and fictional ‘poor, downtrodden wife & mother of his [Stephen Fry’s] five, six or possibly seven kids.") Martin Clunes, English actor and comedian. Ben Fogle, English television presenter, adventurer and writer. Katherine Jenkins, Welsh classical singer - attended Marks and Spencer coffee morning with executive chairman Stuart Rose. Sheree Murphy, English actress and television presenter.