Macmillan Cancer carers are dedicated to helping the many millions of people whose lives are affected by cancer. Offering medical, emotional and practical help the Macmillan team have given sufferers and their families support, strength hope and inspiration when faced with potentially the greatest fight of their lives.
None of this would be possible without constant fundraising and donations from the public and business organisations.
But let’s be honest, times have been difficult these past few years, and there are a lot of genuinely deserving causes out their all asking for our help, at a time when many could be forgiven for deciding ‘charity begins at home.’ Amazingly though, despite this we never succumb to ‘compassion fatigue,’ knowing that, no matter how small our contribution, we still have the power to make a big difference to people’s lives.
Of course it’s much easier to make a contribution when there’s a social occasion, a challenge or fun event to add interest to the proceedings – dropping a coin into a tin rattled under your nose doesn’t really cut it does it?
World's Biggest Coffee Morning
Macmillan understand this, although in 1991 when just over two and a half thousand people registered to hold a fund raising coffee morning it’s unlikely they envisaged a sign up of 115,000 in 2012, nor the record breaking £15million last year’s event raised!
The success can only be down to the simplicity of the idea. Who wouldn’t want to go round for coffee? And a coffee morning can be small and intimate, just involving close friends and family, or a huge corporate affair conducted around board tables usually reserved for billion pound business deals!
It’s so easy to get involved and raise money. Whether you hold quizzes, a bake off with your own Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, combine it with a craft fayre or school event… a coffee morning slots in comfortably anywhere and you can run auctions, raffles, tombolas, anything to add funds to the coffers. There are loads of ideas at the official Coffee Morning website.
Sober for October
Now most of us like to relax at the end of the day with a nice glass of something chilled. However, on the 1st October thousands of people will be going for the soft option, as they go Sober for October, another innovative fundraiser from Macmillan Cancer Support. And it is with a little bit of twitchy anticipation that I have joined that number.
Yep, I’ve pledged that not a drop of the hard stuff will pass my lips from the 1st October until the witching hour has passed on the 31st. Right now I’m actually looking forward to the challenge, although I’m having to squeeze an awful lot of social events in before the end of this month, which has simply made me realise how much socialising revolves around booze these days. That can’t really be a good thing can it?
All I had to do was go to the Go Sober website and fill in my details. I’ve gone public on my Facebook page and have got a few friends and family members involved as well. The fact is what little sacrifice are we really making when there are thousands of people facing cancer every day, not just for a 31 day period? Get involved - online sponsorship makes getting donations really simple.
Having a birthday, wedding or other pre-arranged celebration in October is no excuse…with this in mind you can purchase (or friends can buy for you, by way of donation) Golden Tickets… a magical pass to a night off the wagon!
Why not give it a go; apart from raising funds for a worthwhile cause think of the personal benefits to your health and wallet!
Fundraising Craft Fayre
Closer to home you can do your bit to help by attending the Craft and Gift Fayres at Jubilee Centre, Recreation Way, Mildenhall.
Christmas will be upon us before we know it, and here is the ideal opportunity to find some interesting and unique gifts from the range of quality hand made crafts by local crafts people.
Browse up to 20 stalls including Cards, Jewellery, Sewing, Wood Turning, Knitting and more unusual items with high quality bought in gifts in addition to the crafts on offer.
These events are run in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care and Support. Plus refreshments available in aid of ASD - Helping Hands.
The next fayre is tomorrow, Saturday 21st September 2013, 9:30am till 2:00pm. However if you can’t make it then, future dates are:
Saturday 19th October 2013, 9:30am till 2:00pm
Saturday 16th November 2013, 9:30am till 2:00pm
It’s a harsh fact that one in three of us will be affected by cancer. Without the vital work done by Macmillan many people would face these tough times alone and afraid. Lets make sure Newmarket does its bit to support them.
