Employees from across FirstGroup’s bus and rail operations raised more than £20,000 by taking part in the “World’s Biggest Coffee Morning” last Friday (September 27) as they lended support to the company’s national charity partner, Macmillan Cancer Support.
At FirstGroup’s headquarters in Aberdeen a unique “Macmillan Support Board” was produced which meant employees could pen their personal Macmillan message. For every message written on the board FirstGroup donated an extra £10 to Macmillan. In addition FirstGroup’s Chief Executive Tim O’Toole joined First Aberdeen Director, Joe Mackie, and judged an Aberdeen “bake-off” competition.
Katie Smart, CSR & Community Manager at FirstGroup said: “In the UK more than 70 coffee morning events took place in offices, depots and stations across the Group’s operating companies. Thousands of employees including our Chief Executive took part and raised more than £20,000 for our charity partner Macmillan.”
She continued “So far our partnership with Macmillan has raised more than £500,000 in cash and kind donations. Many of our employees have been personally affected by cancer and we are proud to help Macmillan support those individuals and their families that are affected.”
Sally Hill, Partnership Account Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “I’d like to thank everyone at FirstGroup for their ongoing support, and hope all staff and customers had a great day of fundraising, and enjoyed their coffee and cake! The money raised will go towards helping Macmillan ensure that no one faces cancer alone, and has really helped us to make this year’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning a fantastic success.”
At 23 years old, the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is not only Macmillan’s flagship fundraiser but it is the original and most successful charity fundraising event of its kind. In 2012, more than five million people around the UK hosted or attended a Coffee Morning, raising a record breaking £15 million. More than one in three people will get cancer in our lifetime and these valuable funds help Macmillan ensure that no one has to face the fight alone.
In 2012 FirstGroup staff overwhelmingly voted Macmillan as the company’s national charity partner.