A cancer charity has benefited from a £3million cash boost, thanks to the fundraising efforts of Suffolk-based brewer Greene King.

East Anglian Daily Times: Bury St Edmunds-based Greene King employee Julie English. She has been involved with the Macmillan May fundraising initiative that has contributed to a �3million total for the charity so far. Picture: GREENE KINGBury St Edmunds-based Greene King employee Julie English. She has been involved with the Macmillan May fundraising initiative that has contributed to a �3million total for the charity so far. Picture: GREENE KING (Image: Archant)

The figure raised for Macmillan Cancer Support - Greene King’s charity partner - follows a successful month-long event, ‘Macmillan May’.

It saw around 1,000 pubs across the country take on the challenge to raise as much money as possible by hosting cake sales, raffles, quizzes and family fun days.

The pub retailer and brewer has another reason to celebrate. It was recently recognised for its support of the cancer charity by receiving an award for fundraising excellence at Macmillan’s annual Corporate Partnership event in May.

Greene King’s backing of the charity is set to continue with a ‘Miles for Macmillan’ campaign. This will see the company’s 43,000 team members and guests invited to walk, run, bike or swim enough miles between them to reach the moon.

The impressive feat will see participants cover a combined quarter of a million miles by taking part in marathons, a London to Paris bike ride in July and by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in October.

Customers at Greene King pubs have also supported the cause by enjoying the firm’s special charity desserts, with a percentage of sales going directly to Macmillan. Delights such as Sicilian lemon meringue pie or triple chocolate brownie, have raised around £330,000 for Macmillan since the partnership began in 2012.

The money raised by the pub group over the past year has gone to fund vital hours of Macmillan nursing care.

With help from partner organisations, the charity supports more than 4,300 Macmillan nursing posts across the UK, helping hundreds of thousands of people with cancer each year.

Rooney Anand, chief executive at Greene King, said: “Our pubs are in the privileged position of being in the heart of communities and this achievement is all down to our amazing team members and customers who have put on fantastic fundraising events over the last five years.”

Lynda Thomas, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, added: “Thank you very much to everyone at Greene King, who have worked very hard to raise this significant sum.”