Coffee Makers in Overdrive with Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning
http://www.foodndrinks.net/articles/11011/1/Coffee-Makers-in-Overdrive-with-Worlds-Biggest-Coffee-Morning/Page1.html
Beth Bean
If you are looking for By Beth Bean
Published on 11/3/2011
Its been nearly a month since coffee makers all over the country went into overdrive with the world's largest coffee morning began. Organised by Macmillan Cancer Support. They've raised over 6 million pounds from events stretching from Calais france all the way upto Northern Scotland. Such events are easy to setup, fun and can raise much needed donations for worthwhile causes.
Its been nearly a month since the world's largest coffee morning began. Organised by Macmillan Cancer Support. They've raised over 6 million pounds from events stretching from Calais france all the way upto Northern Scotland.
The event started nearly 2 decades ago in 1990, when a local charitable group decided to run a coffee morning but instead of paying for the coffee, donate instead to Macmillan. A simple and easy idea perfectly suited to go National. Just a year later over 2,500 people registered to run mornings right accross the country.
Since its humble beginnings these events have raised in excess of 60 million pounds and has moved from National to Worldwide and has seen events grow from the traditional coffee morning to evening Pub Quizzes. An event labelled as the Deepest Coffee Morning was even held down Poldark Mine in Cornwall, we can only assume the coffee makers were left above and thermos flasks were taken down.
The amount raised this year is still short of last years total of over 8 million pounds, so there is still a way to go and even though the 30th September is now a full month behind us, donations are still being accepted. Although they are now accepting registrations for 2012 event.
Macmillan have a fantastic support system helping you organise your event and provide all kinds of resources to help you get the most out of it. While this advice has been specifically tailored too Macmillan and their events, the advice is beneficial for any fundraising event you maybe holding.
Bake some cakes - most of us enjoy a home-bake cake or biscuit and is a fantastic way to increase the smiles, feel good and donation sizes from attendees.
Invite more people - Don't be stingy with your invites, invite everybody and ask everyone to bring at least one friend. The more people that turn out, the more successful and fun your event will be. Most of us are extremely busy so assume at least 50% of the people you have invited won't turn up.
Play some Games - it is a good idea to provide some structure to your event and lining up some simple games is a great way to achieve this. From simple card games to guess the number of jelly beans, the simpler the better. If there are lots of you, split people into groups and keep a score board. You can even ask for donations to participate - or donations to not participate - whatever works.
Unfortunately a third of us in the United Kingdom will get cancer at some point in our lives. That makes it an issue for all of us, whether its yourself or a family member that is affected, we are all ultimately affected. Macmillan's ambition is clear, and huge. They want to reach out to every single person, from towns across the country, that has been diagnosed with cancer and provide help and support throughout their journey to make life better in any way they can. Google Macmillan Coffee for more information or to make a donation.
It's not just Macmillan that are suggesting you run a coffee morning to raise funds and awareness. Great Ormond Street Hospital also have a dedicated page on their website A-Z listings of fundraising ideas for organising a charitable morning. In contrast to the invite as many people as possible, they suggest simply switching from your regular shop to a meet at your home with a small group of friends and donating what you would have spent to the charity. While this may not raise hundreds of pounds, if thousands of small groups did this the donations would soon mount up. They too suggest running a bake off competition to add some fun to the morning, or even run a quiz.
Publicising your morning is also an important part if you are looking at a bigger turnout. They suggest being as informative as possible about the reasons why your holding the event. The more people understand what they are helping with the more generous they are likely to be.
They finish off with a focus on the money, stating possibly an obvious point - aim to generate at least 3 times what you spend on the organisation. There isn't much point in you being out of pocket more than is donated. Also, ensure you have lots of change to hand and have a locked box for storing the donations securely, ensuring that your coffee morning is fun, worthwhile and less stressful.
The event started nearly 2 decades ago in 1990, when a local charitable group decided to run a coffee morning but instead of paying for the coffee, donate instead to Macmillan. A simple and easy idea perfectly suited to go National. Just a year later over 2,500 people registered to run mornings right accross the country.
Since its humble beginnings these events have raised in excess of 60 million pounds and has moved from National to Worldwide and has seen events grow from the traditional coffee morning to evening Pub Quizzes. An event labelled as the Deepest Coffee Morning was even held down Poldark Mine in Cornwall, we can only assume the coffee makers were left above and thermos flasks were taken down.
The amount raised this year is still short of last years total of over 8 million pounds, so there is still a way to go and even though the 30th September is now a full month behind us, donations are still being accepted. Although they are now accepting registrations for 2012 event.
Macmillan have a fantastic support system helping you organise your event and provide all kinds of resources to help you get the most out of it. While this advice has been specifically tailored too Macmillan and their events, the advice is beneficial for any fundraising event you maybe holding.
Bake some cakes - most of us enjoy a home-bake cake or biscuit and is a fantastic way to increase the smiles, feel good and donation sizes from attendees.
Invite more people - Don't be stingy with your invites, invite everybody and ask everyone to bring at least one friend. The more people that turn out, the more successful and fun your event will be. Most of us are extremely busy so assume at least 50% of the people you have invited won't turn up.
Play some Games - it is a good idea to provide some structure to your event and lining up some simple games is a great way to achieve this. From simple card games to guess the number of jelly beans, the simpler the better. If there are lots of you, split people into groups and keep a score board. You can even ask for donations to participate - or donations to not participate - whatever works.
Unfortunately a third of us in the United Kingdom will get cancer at some point in our lives. That makes it an issue for all of us, whether its yourself or a family member that is affected, we are all ultimately affected. Macmillan's ambition is clear, and huge. They want to reach out to every single person, from towns across the country, that has been diagnosed with cancer and provide help and support throughout their journey to make life better in any way they can. Google Macmillan Coffee for more information or to make a donation.
It's not just Macmillan that are suggesting you run a coffee morning to raise funds and awareness. Great Ormond Street Hospital also have a dedicated page on their website A-Z listings of fundraising ideas for organising a charitable morning. In contrast to the invite as many people as possible, they suggest simply switching from your regular shop to a meet at your home with a small group of friends and donating what you would have spent to the charity. While this may not raise hundreds of pounds, if thousands of small groups did this the donations would soon mount up. They too suggest running a bake off competition to add some fun to the morning, or even run a quiz.
Publicising your morning is also an important part if you are looking at a bigger turnout. They suggest being as informative as possible about the reasons why your holding the event. The more people understand what they are helping with the more generous they are likely to be.
They finish off with a focus on the money, stating possibly an obvious point - aim to generate at least 3 times what you spend on the organisation. There isn't much point in you being out of pocket more than is donated. Also, ensure you have lots of change to hand and have a locked box for storing the donations securely, ensuring that your coffee morning is fun, worthwhile and less stressful.