People from across Wiltshire spent Friday morning helping out with Macmillan’s biggest fundraising event, the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

Last year, 154,000 people across the country signed up and helped raise a record £20million and many people across the county got involved this year to help raise even more.

In Devizes, Barclays Bank were joined in their fundraising efforts by Mayor of Devizes, Coun Sarah Bridewell.

She said: “I enjoy going to these coffee mornings as it is an easy and fun way to raise money for a good cause.”

Across town, Charles Winchcombe & Son funeral directors hosted their first coffee morning in their Devizes branch following successes over recent years in Marlborough.

Director Paula Winchcombe said: “It went very well and we had lots of people come in throughout the morning. We will definitely be hosting other charity events here in the future.”

Malmesbury resident, John Walker, was also keen to get involved after receiving help from Macmillan when he lost his wife to bowel cancer three-and-a-half years ago.

Mr Walker and his family held his coffee morning at Malmesbury Victoria Football Club and raised £272.15.

He said: “It went very well; it was a really good morning. Lots of people donated cakes and cash, Hope Church helped and local people too.

“Next year I’m hoping to do an even bigger one.”

Chippenham Constit-utional Club in Foghamshire also held a coffee morning and raised £100 for the charity.

Nicky Lawrance, secretary for the club, said: “It was the first one that we had got involved with. We took part as our bar manager thought it would be a good way to raise money.”

A coffee morning was held in Inlands Close, Pewsey, on September 24, and resulted in the great sum of £430 being forwarded to the charity.

Organiser Anne Diston said: “The morning went very well, much better than expected and the 35 people who attended were so generous for a very worthy cause.

“My sister is undergoing treatment and Macmillan have been very helpful for her. This was the first time we took part, after seeing the advert on television we thought we would give it a go.”

There was a coffee morning held in Marlborough at Pino’s Italian Restaurant, hosted by Lilian Leadbetter, which raised £1,219, including Gift Aid.

“It was really successful and when you think that the money was raised in just a two-hour slot people were very generous,” she said.

“Like a lot of people I have lost friends and relatives to cancer and have wanted to host a coffee morning for a while. This year I finally had more spare time to do so. Pino has been brilliant in supporting this event, by providing Italian cake and coffee as well as giving us the venue and staffing for free.”

Young Lions in Devizes had a roaring success with their Macmillan coffee morning on Saturday when they raised £300 for the cause.

As the youngsters from the Devizes Leo Club were at school when most of the coffee mornings were held on Friday they staged their own at the Nursteed Centre on Saturday morning.

Lion John Harris said: “It was absolutely fantastic. They had hoped to raise £100 but to make £300 was beyond their wildest dreams.”

A group of about nine members of the club, which is the junior branch of the Lions Club, aged from 12 to 18 baked a wide range of cakes and others were donated. A raffle helped boost the final total.

In Seend Macmillan supporters raised £370 for the charity by not only holding a coffee morning but by having guessing games, a raffle and a number of stalls.

Devizes Conservative Club has also done its bit for Macmillan Cancer Support but instead of holding a coffee morning it organised a dance and raised £103.

Its next event will be a Rod Steward tribute dance on October 11. Tickets cost £7 in advance and £9 on the door.