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31st January 2025

Greene King celebrates a record breaking £3.9m fundraising total for Macmillan Cancer Support in 2024 and announces pledge to cancer support line

  • The pub company and brewer pledge the first six months of fundraising from 2025 towards Macmillan’s Support Line to help more people access support when they need it the most.
  • Follows Greene King’s announcement of reaching a £20m milestone in October over its 12-year partnership with the cancer charity.

Greene King, the UK’s leading pub company and brewer, is celebrating another record-breaking fundraising year for its long-term charity partner, Macmillan Cancer Support, having raised an impressive £3.9m during 2024, its highest yearly fundraising total to date.

This remarkable achievement follows the announcement last year that the business had reached £20 million, marking 12 years of dedicated partnership and tireless fundraising efforts across its pubs, breweries, and support centres.

£3.9 million could pay for more than 100,000 hours of support from Macmillan Nurses or for more than 50 Macmillan Nurses for a whole year, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential support.*

The pub company and brewer has also announced that starting in January 2025, the first six months of fundraising will be specifically directed towards supporting Macmillan’s Support Line, which is a lifeline for those living with cancer and their loved ones, offering confidential support by telephone, email, and webchat.

Trained professionals provide emotional support, practical information, and guidance on a wide range of issues, from understanding diagnosis and treatment options to managing finances and accessing local services. This invaluable service ensures that no one has to face cancer alone, providing comfort and advice at every step of the journey.

Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King, expressed his pride in the company’s extraordinary fundraising achievements: “This wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of our team members and generosity of our customers, whose continued passion for this incredible charity has resulted in yet another record-breaking year of fundraising.

“Our pubs are at the heart of their communities, so for the first half of this year we’re directing all of our fundraising to the Support Line, so that more people can access Macmillan’s help when they need it the most.”

Gemma Peters, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “The team at Greene King is serious about fundraising and 2024 was no different for them, as they raised an awesome £3.9 million.

“We have been proud partners for over 12 years now and I’m always impressed by how committed and creative the team is, doing everything they can to raise more money than the year before. Last year they did everything from sponsored head shaves to bike rides – including pub quizzes of course! – and we’re hugely grateful.

“A massive thanks to all Greene King team members and customers who were involved, as this money will make a huge difference in helping us to ensure that everyone living with cancer in the UK gets the best care possible. I can’t wait to see what we achieve by working together in 2025.”

As Greene King continues to support Macmillan Cancer Support, the company remains committed to raising funds and awareness for those living with cancer.

For more information about Greene King’s fundraising efforts and how to support Macmillan Cancer Support, please visit www.greeneking.co.uk/our-company/greene-king-for-good/macmillan.

ENDS

For more information, please email pressoffice@greeneking.co.uk

Notes to editors

*Macmillan Cancer Support internal data. 2024 edition based on 2023 costs. £3.9 million could fund approximately 108,000 hours of support from Macmillan Nurses, or approximately 58 Macmillan Nurses for 12 months. This reflects the full cost of employing a Macmillan Nurse (including costs such as national insurance and pension contribution). These costs are set by the NHS Agenda for Change system and are considered at Band 7. They do not represent nurse salaries.

About Greene King

Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer with c.2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales, and Scotland.

At Greene King we are passionate about delivering our purpose to ‘pour happiness into lives.’ That’s for our customers, our team, our pub partners, our suppliers, and the communities in which we live, operate, and serve. Founded in 1799 with offices in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, and Burton on Trent in Staffordshire we employ around 40,000 people across the group with three divisions: Greene King pubs, Destination Brands & Ventures, and Brewing & Brands.

  • Greene King pubs: Greene King pubs is our mainstream pub brand located where people and communities come together; pubs enjoyed in cities, towns, and villages throughout the country with clear ambition to be “The Nation’s Most Loved Pub Brand.” Pub Partners runs our tenanted and leased pubs business and Hive Franchise pubs.
  • Destination Brands & Ventures: Destination Brands is a portfolio of distinct brands which includes Hungry Horse, Chef & Brewer, Farmhouse Inns and Flaming Grill that bring friends and family together, delivering great service, quality, and value for money for a range of eating out and drinking occasions. Venture includes Hickory’s, Premium (Crafted Pubs & Metropolitan Pub Company) and Hotels which operate autonomously of Greene King’s managed pub brands.
  • Brewing & Brands covers the brewing sides of the business. Quality ales are brewed at the Westgate brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Our industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker, and Belhaven Best and our premium beers, Level Head and Flint Eye, brewed for the modern-day drinker.

Image: Nick Mackenzie (centre) celebrates milestone achievement with colleagues from Macmillan Cancer Support and Greene King.


For more information, please email pressoffice@greeneking.co.uk

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