The World’s Biggest Coffee morning is arguably the most important fundraising event for the charity Macmillan Cancer Support and in 2016 alone it raised over £29 million. This month, the 9th Orpington Girlguiding unit did their part for the charity by holding their own coffee evening; open to friends and relatives of the Guides, they served an array of cakes mostly made by the girls themselves.
“It was a great way for the girls to work together and raise money for charity,” said Guide leader Debbie Clarke, who was quick to put forward the idea after hearing about Macmillan’s coffee morning. And indeed, the Guides worked remarkably well as a team to ensure the evening ran smoothly: each girl had a different role, from serving the cakes to taking drinks orders. All of the Guides had also helped to decorate the hall, with Macmillan bunting and vases of flowers, as well as baking or bringing in their own cakes.
To keep the guests entertained while cake was being served, the girls ran games and competitions including ‘pin the cherry on the gateau’ and ‘guess the weight of the cake’, both of which raised even more money for Macmillan.
One of the Guides, Holly Campbell, told me that it was “one of the most fun things” she had done as part of Girl Guides. “We got to be hosts for our parents and help people at the same time,” she elaborated, “and we did it all with our friends.”
The evening ended with a ‘Cake Quiz’ with the Guides and the parents entering as teams to answer questions on topics, varying from the history of cake to cakes in other countries. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening for everyone and, however much the Guides raise, they should feel proud of themselves for doing a substantial amount for charity.
