HOOK and surrounding communities joined forces to help Macmillan’s attempts to beat cancer.

A huge number of volunteers and residents supported Macmillan Cancer Support’s flagship fundraising event, The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning,on Friday, October 7, and all donations made by bakers, cake eaters and coffee sippers go to the cancer support charity.

It is an annual event and last year alone £25 million was raised.

Hook Community Centre was the home to Hook’s coffee morning, where from 10.30am to noon, every slice of cake eaten and cup of coffee poured had the power to help change lives for people living with cancer. 

Total funds raised were £324, something that organisers were over the moon about.

Volunteer Sue Hinton said: “Macmillan wants to make sure no one has to face cancer alone and the generous help of our community will help towards that aim.

“Thank you everyone for all your support and enthusiasm for the coffee morning.”

Started in 1990, it was the 26th year of the event and with the help of fundraisers in Hook, Macmillan hopes to beat the fantastic amount raised last year.

Macmillan Coffee Morning’s weren’t the only way people could get involved with one Andwell resident taking part in Macmillan’s Brave the Shave campaign.

Ashlea Lohman, a nursery worker at Sunshine Daisy Nursery in Andwell, took part in the national campaign for both personal reasons and also to highlight the ongoing support the nursery gives to charities close to their heart.

On her fundraising page she writes, “I, as I’m sure many people in the world have, have lost someone who is extremely dear and close to me to cancer.

“I also have friends who are still fighting it. I wanted to do something where I would be able to raise a good amount of money, for Macmillan and continue on the road to beat cancer!”

In particular, she is supporting one of her best friends from school who was diagnosed with skin cancer at the age of 19 .

After starting her fundraising in July with a target of £500, Ashlea has now raised a massive £1,025, with donations still able to be made.

To learn more about Macmillan’s fight to support those with cancer visit www.macmillan.org.uk and for more on Ashlea’s story, see the website www.bravetheshave.org.uk/shavers/ashlea-lohman/