Marks & Spencer’s raises £2m for Macmillan Cancer Support
Howard Lake | 19 January 2016 | News
Customers and employees of Marks & Spencer’s raised more than £2 million for Macmillan Cancer Support in 2015. This is nearly £700,000 more than they raised for the charity in 2014.
Of 2015’s total, the highest achieved in the partnership so far, £1.6 million derived from M&S’ involvement in Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. The retailer has supported this event as headline partner for the last six years.
The annual fundraising day took place on Friday 25 September 2015, and involved thousands of M&S employees supporting the campaign throughout September. M&S’ Food business took a lead role in the promotion, offering various ways for customers to support Macmillan in the retailer’s cafes and food halls.
Other M&S fundraising
The remaining £400,000 was raised through a range of employee fundraising, promotions and events, including a fundraising ball.
The final total is expected to be even higher as M&S is continuing to support Macmillan through both its charity Christmas cards and the new ‘Sparks’ loyalty card. Macmillan is one of nine charities that are supported by ‘Sparks’, with a penny from every transaction going to customers’ chosen charity.
Macmillan is also a recipient of proceeds coming from carrier bag sales in store.
Steve Kemp, head of Food Retail at M&S, said:
“Each year we are astounded by the efforts of our wonderful teams and customers in getting behind our partnership with Macmillan, and this year our expectations have been exceeded yet again! £2 million is an absolutely fantastic amount to have raised, and we are proud to support the incredible work Macmillan does. More than one in three of us will get cancer in our lifetime and it’s the toughest fight most of us will ever face”.
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Macmillan’s Director of High Value Fundraising, Claire Singlehurst, added:
“We are delighted that M&S has raised £2 million for Macmillan in 2015. This is a remarkable achievement and I would like to personally thank all of the generous M&S colleagues and customers who made this possible. Every penny raised will help fund more vital Macmillan professional posts in communities across the UK, to help ensure that no one has to face cancer alone.”
Shortlisted for award
The Macmillan and M&S Partnership has been shortlisted for a Retail Week Award 2016, for Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.