A young fundraiser takes part in a toddler walk organised by Hungry Horse (a Greene King brand) in Stafford. Children walked 1km and raised an incredible £1500 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
They walked, they ran, they climbed mountains and baked cakes – and Greene King team members have raised an incredible £680,000 in just one month with their annual ‘Macmillan May’ fundraising push.
This bumper month takes the total raised by the UK’s leading pub company and brewer to over £6 million pounds, with both team members and customers getting behind the cause. Although fundraising takes place year-round, May is when it really ramps up, with hundreds of events taking place throughout Greene King pubs, and some very stiff (but friendly!) competition between colleagues.
This year’s fundraising took the form of a range of activities, from physical challenges to family events and individual efforts. Highlights included individual and team challenges such as marathons, danceathons and swimathons, community events including music festivals, toddler walks and fun days, and even messy activities such as gunge your colleague! Of particular note are a team who cycled from London to Amsterdam, a 2,000 mile tour of every Farmhouse Inn with partnership mascot Connie, and the famous Tartan Trek – a 17 mile walk around Edinburgh which raised a jaw-dropping £36,000.
Greene King has been working in partnership with Macmillan since 2012. As well as fundraising activity by team members, customers at Greene King pubs and restaurants also contribute by purchasing specially marked charity desserts, with a donation from sales going directly to Macmillan.
The money raised during Macmillan May will be used to provide grants for people living with cancer. Macmillan grants are small, usually one-off payments to help people with the added costs cancer can bring – from extra clothing and heating bills, to travel costs or even a relaxing break. These grants can make a huge difference to people affected by cancer, easing financial worries and allowing them to concentrate on getting the physical and emotional support they need. Grants, along with a wide range of other services the charity provides, enable them to help up to 6.5 million people every year to navigate all the things that cancer may throw their way.
Nick Mackenzie, CEO at Greene King says: “I’ve been out visiting our pubs during May and our teams have been so passionate about supporting Macmillan. We’ve almost doubled the amount we raised last year and have seen more than 1,500 of our pubs actively fundraising during May.
“Our incredible team members have put their all behind raising money and I’d like to thank our customers who have been so supportive and generous in helping us reach this record-breaking amount for Macmillan.”
Lynda Thomas, Chief Executive Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support says: “For Greene King to raise well over half a million pounds in just one month is truly amazing!
“This money, along with the other generous donations year-round from Greene King staff and customers, will make a tangible difference to people living with cancer helping us to realise our ambition to be right there for people from the moment of their diagnosis.
“Macmillan is funded almost entirely by donations, and without the continued generosity of the public and partners like Greene King, we simply wouldn’t be able to provide vital support to people at their times of greatest need. We are truly grateful to all of you.”
If you need support or just want someone to talk to about cancer, call Macmillan free on 0808 808 00 00 or visit macmillan.org.uk. To donate visit macmillan.org.uk/donate.
For more information on the Greene King and Macmillan Cancer Support partnership visit www.macmillan.org.uk/greeneking