Greene King teams have smashed their annual fundraising record for charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support – despite spending a significant portion of 2021 in lockdown.
More than £2m has been raised by team members across Greene King’s c1,600 managed pubs, its breweries in Bury St Edmunds and Dunbar and support centre teams, making Greene King the charity’s top fundraising corporate partner this year.
The record follows news that earlier this year Greene King passed the £10m milestone of money raised for Macmillan since the partnership began in 2012.
Fundraising for the charity has accelerated in recent years with £1m raised in the first two years of the partnership, before going on to pass £3m raised in 2017, £5m in 2019 and then more than doubling that amount in less than three years. The money raised by Greene King will help Macmillan continue to provide vital support for those living with cancer.
Latest figures from PubAid estimate that pubs raise around £100m annually for charities across the UK, showcasing the importance and value they bring to communities by supporting good causes.
Greene King CEO Nick Mackenzie said: “It’s hard to put into words just how proud I am of every member of the Greene King team who has gone above and beyond this year to raise this incredible amount. Not only has it been a phenomenally challenging year to run a pub through a variety of restrictions and challenges, but to then go out in addition to doing the day job and put on charitable events and undertake epic challenges truly is inspiring.
“It reminds you what an important role pubs play in communities and highlights how closing pubs has repercussions not just on the businesses and customers but the wider causes and communities they support as well.”
Lynda Thomas, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Greene King employees and customers continue to amaze us with their fundraising efforts.
“We are extremely grateful for their continued support and for raising such a phenomenal amount in an especially challenging year. At Macmillan we rely almost entirely on donations from the public and passionate corporate partners like Greene King. Without this generosity we simply wouldn’t be able to fund the Macmillan professionals and services that support people with cancer in communities across the UK when they need it the most. Thank you”.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Greene King was founded in 1799 and is headquartered in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. It currently employs around 40,000 people across its five divisions: Local Pubs; Destination Food Brands; Premium, Urban and Venture Brands; Pub Partners; and Brewing & Brands.
- It operates c.2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland, of which c.1,600 are retail pubs, restaurants and hotels in the Locals, Destinations and Premium, Urban and Venture divisions, and c.1,000 are tenanted and leased pubs in its Pub Partners division. Its leading retail brands and formats include Hungry Horse, Farmhouse Inns and Chef & Brewer.
- The Brewing & Brands division covers the brewing sides of the business, with quality ale brands brewed at the Greene King brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. The industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best.
About Macmillan Cancer Support
At Macmillan, we give people with cancer everything we’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are our worries. We will move mountains to help you live life as fully as you can. And we don’t stop there.
We’re going all out to find ever better ways to help people with cancer, helping to bring forward the day when everyone gets life-transforming support from day one.
For information, support or just someone to talk to, call 0808 808 00 00 or visit macmillan.org.uk
To give, fundraise or volunteer call 0300 1000 200 or visit macmillan.org.uk
Press release from Greene King
Contact: PressOffice@greeneking.co.uk