Pub retailer’s £4m fundraising milestone for cancer charity
Greene King employees based in Bury St Edmunds celebrating reaching �4m for Macmillan Picture: PAGEPIX - Credit: Archant
Bury St Edmunds pub retail and brewer Greene King is celebrating after raising £4m for a cancer charity following a six-year tie-in.
The firm, which has adopted Macmillan Cancer Support, which supports people living with cancer, as its charity partner for the last six years, said it was “incredibly proud” of the achievement.
This month, Greene King pubs across the country have been involved in ‘Macmillan May’, a month-long fundraising challenge with cake sales, runs, raffles and challenges. In 2017, the team raised £318,000 across the month of May and hopes to beat that this year.
In 2017, Greene King’s support for Macmillan stepped up a gear as the company’s 40,000 team members launched their ‘Miles for Macmillan’ challenge, where they and customers will attempt to walk, run, bike or swim enough miles to reach the moon.
The impressive feat, which they hope to complete by 2019, has so far seen them take on a London to Paris bike ride and a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro.
Its pub and restaurant customers have also supported the cause by enjoying its charity desserts, with a donation from sales going directly to Macmillan. Customers who have tucked into puddings including chocolate brownie or lemon meringue pie raised a tasty £500,000 for Macmillan since the partnership began in 2012.
Having originally set out to raise £1m over three years, Greene King exceeded that target a year early, and in 2015 signed up for another three years of partnership. The money raised by the pub chain funds vital hours of Macmillan professional care, supporting people living with cancer across the UK.
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Chief executive Rooney Anand said: “I feel incredibly proud that our team members at Greene King have managed to contribute such an enormous amount towards helping those living with cancer. Thank you to everyone who has supported our Macmillan partnership. From our enthusiastic and inspirational pub teams to those who continually put on fundraisers in our offices, and of course our fantastic customers who have supported our fundraising. Reaching £4m in six years is no mean feat.”
Charity boss Lynda Thomas extended “a huge thank you” to Greene King and guests for taking part in fundraising activities.
