JUST over a week since the Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning event, money is pouring into the cancer charity from its 1500 loyal fundraisers across the county – among them Petronella Seccombe, who has dished up a whopping £57,000 to date.

Now in its 23rd year, The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is Macmillan Cancer Support’s biggest fundraiser of the year and sees the public transforming homes, schools, shops and community centres into pop-up coffee shops to raise money for the charity.

Last year 1,299 Coffee Mornings took place across Oxfordshire, raising over £138,000.

This year it is hoped an estimated 1500 hosts will have raised a record-breaking £160,000 last Friday for the charity’s work funding community nurses, family support workers and cancer treatment centres.

Petronella Seccombe, from Salford near Chipping Norton, has been a supporter of Macmillan since 1997, having lost her own mother to stomach cancer at the age of just 44.

“Ever since then I have done all I can to support charities and I started supporting Macmillan over 20 years ago because I was so impressed by their work offering support to families, through their amazing cancer nurses and also their treatment centres.”

Mrs Seccombe was part of a Macmillan fundraising committee, set up in 1997, tasked with raising £450,000, through charity events in a two-year period – Their efforts ended up raising £550,000.

A mum of three grown-up children, she also holds a coffee morning every year, but is best known for her clothes sales.

She explained: “I have held two large clothes sales at Oxford Town Hall and another this year at a friend’s house in Tackley.

“I asked all my friends and their friends to donate unwanted clothes and this year I also asked for designer outfits we could sell.

“I hope to clear £1000 from this and on top of what I helped raise with the committee, I guess this will bring my personal total for Macmillan up to about £57,000 so far.”

Sara Rawnsley, of Macmillan, said: “PJ is an amazing woman who has been committed to fundraising for Macmillan for over two decades which is something I find so inspiring.

“There are so many more people who are raising valuable funds across the county for Macmillan and without these people we wouldn’t be able to provide the services that we do. This year Coffee Morning has had more people than ever signing up and we look like we’re on track to raise more than ever before.”

s Oxford Tutorial College (OTC) held a Macmillan coffee morning last Friday and raised £254.

Petar Tomich, a member of the group which organised the event said: “If a small group of students like us can manage to raise £254, I strongly believe this can make a big difference to those who suffer with cancer.”

s Oxford Skipton Building Society in High Street, Oxford also served up some treats to their customers 4pm last Friday.

Branch manager Sharon Ogden said: “The work Macmillan does is fantastic and if we can help just one family affected by cancer through our fundraising we will be delighted.”

  • And the Oxford Mail held its own Coffee Morning, raising £284 through drinks and donated cakes.

Coming up is a carol concert, A Celebration of Christmas, in aid of Macmillan. Held at Christchurch Cathedral it will feature celebrity guest readers including the star of Lewis Kevin Whately.