At the end of last month, I organised and hosted my seventh Macmillan Coffee Morning at Wildfire’s HQ since joining the company back in 2016.

Over the years, the Wildfire team has raised hundreds of pounds for this worthy cause, all by baking, buying — and then scoffing — delicious treats of all shapes, sizes, and flavours. But it’s not just about the cakes.

There’s the obvious element of ‘doing good’ — which is one of Wildfire’s core values. But it also helps with team bonding. Raising money for this brilliant charity doesn’t just give us the feel-good factor, it’s also an excuse to get everyone together over a chocolatey brownie or slab of carrot cake. Not that we need any excuse to eat cake and get together!

So, what took place on the big day – and why do we get our bake on for charity each year?

It’s a piece of cake

As usual, several team members rolled up their sleeves, donned their aprons and dusted off their mixing bowls to whip up a gamut of glorious goodies for their colleagues. The tasty treats were then lovingly packaged up and carefully transported to our beautiful Boathouse, before being expertly displayed in our make-shift cake shop — aka, the boardroom).

I was, once again, incredibly impressed with the baking skills of my colleagues. I say it every time, but this year everyone outdid themselves. We had crumbly carrot cake, a beautiful bundt, cracking cookies, and blissful brownies, to name a few.

Unlike previous years, where I’ve enforced a strict 11 am start — the perfect time for cake in my opinion — this year the team just couldn’t wait. I even saw a few pre-9 am slices of cake being munched on. But the main thing is, everyone dug deep for the charity.

I’m fortunate enough that my desk is strategically placed just a few steps away from the cake HQ, meaning I could sneak in and out — almost undetected — whenever those cravings hit. Plus, I managed to get my step count up, which is something I do every day. It’s all about balance, right?

It also meant that I could check out all of the excitement and activity throughout the day as people kept their sugar levels up. All in all, it was both a sweet and successful day.

Why Macmillan?

As usual, across the UK, thousands of individuals and companies were getting their own slice of the action as they hosted Coffee Mornings.

As many of you will already know, every penny raised goes directly to support people living with cancer or recovering from the aftermath of dealing with the disease. It also acts as an invaluable resource for their friends and families. Macmillan understands that the disease can impact people’s whole lives — not just their physical and mental health, but also their loved ones, job, and financial situation.

Its team of incredible volunteers, campaigners, and experts provide emotional, physical, and financial support for people living with cancer at every stage of their experience. They also conduct research into cancer care, influence decision-makers, and support cancer care staff, among other essential services.

For me, it’s also a charity that’s particularly close to my heart. Like many, this awful disease has affected my family, friends, and loved ones — but I also, unfortunately, know all about it first-hand.

One of the (few) silver linings of my personal overwhelming and traumatic experience with cancer is the incredible friends I’ve met along the way who have also benefitted immensely from the services that Macmillan provides.

Do good

It’s safe to say that the infamous Macmillan Coffee Morning will remain an annual celebration in the Wildfire calendar. It’s something that I’ll continue to arrange and support as long as there are cakes to be made and eaten. It’s a hard job, but someone’s got to do it.

And the cherry on the cake? As part of Wildfire’s fifth value — ‘Do Good’ — every penny we raised gets matched. That means even more money for this incredibly worthy charity.

Here at Wildfire, we’re determined to make a positive difference to our clients, community, and society — and support movements that make positive change. You can read more about how we’re ‘doing good’ here.