Macmillan Cancer Support makes desperate plea as cancelled coffee morning sees fundraising plummet by two thirds

PA
Ewan Somerville7 September 2020

A cancer charity is calling for the public to take part in a socially-distanced coffee morning as the cancellation of fundraising events leaves a huge financial black hole.

Macmillan Cancer Support’s coffee morning, a staple feature in the UK’s fundraising calendar, is usually held at cafes, shops, schools, offices and hospitals every September, with an average of 200,000 people registering to take part.

But the coronavirus pandemic has forced the charity to change the format for the first time in 30 years, prompting it to urge supporters to “act now” to support those facing cancer battles.

Macmillan is urging people to host a socially-distanced coffee morning safely from their doorstep, or take on a challenge such as doing a sponsored run, walk or cycle.

They could also set up a virtual coffee morning for the event on Friday, September 25 or make a donation online

Macmillan's coffee morning will take place on September 25
AFP via Getty Images

Last year, the coffee morning raised £27.5 million for the cancer support charity and early estimations show it is currently on track to raise less than a third of that this year – the lowest amount since 2009.

Sign-ups are also expected to be down by more than two-thirds, but Macmillan says people can participate on any date.

The national cancer charity, which relies on donations for 98 per cent of its income, said it is “facing the hardest year in its 109-year existence”.

This is largely due to the charity’s other fundraising events being mostly cancelled or postponed, including the London Marathon

Cancer screenings have been postponed or cancelled during lockdown 
Shutterstock / Chinnapong

Macmillan said a loss of £20 million represents about 9 per cent of its total fundraised income for 2019 and could pay for the cost of more than 350 Macmillan specialist cancer nurses in England for a full year.

The charity said many of its free support services were inundated at the peak of the pandemic as many people living with cancer saw their treatments changed, postponed or cancelled, and staff are bracing for an influx in demand later this year.

Cancer Research UK said 20,000 fewer treatments took place between April and July across England, a 28 per cent drop compared with the same period in 2019.

The shutdown of services during lockdown meant 210,000 people a week could not be screened and urgent referrals of patients suspected of having cancer fell by 40 per cent, the IPPR think tank said.

Claire Rowney, of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “There has never been a more terrifying time in recent history to receive a diagnosis as people face potential disruption or delays to treatment, amid an increased risk of infection to the coronavirus.

“Coffee Morning has thrived for 30 years thanks to the enormous generosity of our supporters – and we need to act now to ensure it can continue to raise vital funds for people living with cancer for years to come.”