Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Official Report 919KB pdf

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Macmillan Cancer Support’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S5M-18636, in the name of Clare Adamson, on Macmillan Cancer Support’s world’s biggest coffee morning. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament welcomes Macmillan Cancer Support’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning fundraiser, which runs throughout September every year; notes that 2019 marks the 29th year of the fundraiser; considers that it is Macmillan’s biggest fundraising event for people facing cancer and that since 1990 it has raised over £200 million; recognises that Macmillan offers practical, emotional and financial support to thousands of people in Scotland affected by cancer every year; praises the thousands of Macmillan nurses and professionals who work in services and play a vital role in coordinating the care of people living with cancer and making sure that their needs and concerns are met; welcomes the recent announcement that the Scottish Government and Macmillan are each investing £9 million into the Transforming Cancer Care programme to make Scotland the first country in the UK to offer cancer patients guaranteed emotional, practical and financial advice; notes the view that everyone with cancer should be offered a personal care plan and access to the support that they need; recognises that Macmillan will work with the NHS and Health and Social Care Boards across Scotland to ensure that every cancer patient is offered support by 2023; thanks everyone who has raised funds and made donations to Macmillan, and looks forward to as many people as possible joining and supporting this year’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

17:05  

I am delighted to lead this debate. I thank colleagues who signed the motion and those who will speak in the debate. It is not often that we get to say that we are speaking about a phenomenon, but that is the only way that I can describe Macmillan Cancer Support’s world’s biggest coffee morning. The event is in its 29th year of September fundraising. Since 1990, it has raised more than £200 million for practical, emotional and financial support to thousands of people who are affected by cancer, including in Scotland.

I thank Macmillan Cancer Support and the Scottish Government for their partnership in the transforming cancer care programme. The Scottish Government’s investment of £9 million will be matched by Macmillan to ensure that, by 2023, every cancer patient receives emotional, practical and financial support.

This evening, however, our thoughts are all about our volunteers and fundraisers and the tens of thousands of people who participate in more than 100,000 coffee mornings. The events happen in homes, workplaces, schools, churches and libraries—anywhere a kettle can be plugged in, it seems. I thank my Motherwell and Wishaw colleague Marion Fellows MP for hosting a Macmillan coffee morning last Friday in our office complex. It was a fantastic event that was attended by council colleagues, including North Lanarkshire provost Councillor Jean Jones, as well as tenants from our building, members of the public and friends and family. The event raised £350 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The Motherwell and Wishaw constituency has a great tradition of supporting Macmillan coffee mornings and the work of Macmillan Cancer Support. Wishaw Macmillan professionals and practitioners were involved in one of the transforming care after treatment pilot projects, which informed the transforming cancer care programme. I was delighted to meet Macmillan professionals during the pilot and to see how those precious coffee morning pennies were being transformed into world-leading patient cancer journey interventions in my community.

For example, £250 can give five people living with cancer an opportunity to attend a health and wellbeing event; £335 can pay for a Macmillan grant to allow a family affected by cancer to have a holiday to make the most of their precious time and to make memories for the future; £546 can pay for a Macmillan social care worker for a week to help patients, family members and carers to manage the social and practical problems of living with cancer; and £1,023 can pay for a Macmillan nurse for a week to help people living with cancer and their families to receive essential expert medical, practical and emotional support.

I want to highlight a partnership between North Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire Council services and Macmillan Cancer Support. CultureNL, NL Leisure and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture have joined forces with Macmillan Cancer Support to provide and improve cancer support services in Lanarkshire. That involves providing information and services, particularly in libraries throughout Lanarkshire; developing Macmillan’s physical activity programme, which is called move more; and rolling out new volunteering opportunities.

I take this opportunity to thank the Macmillan volunteers.

There are many opportunities to be a volunteer, and different skills can be used to help people who are dealing with cancer, and their families. People affected by cancer often feel isolated, alone and, crucially, unable to access the right information and support at the right time, but volunteers can improve that situation. Macmillan needs volunteers

“who are warm, supportive and non-judgemental, with great communication skills and a willingness to learn”.

No previous experience is required. People can become cancer information and support services volunteers, who help people to access financial advice, physical activity opportunities and transport for appointments. A gentle movement volunteer works with people affected by cancer using Chinese practices of breathing, physical activity, and mental and spiritual awareness. A move more motivator meets and greets participants, and provides a warm welcome and support to people throughout their journey. People can become gardening volunteers, who provide a warm welcome in Macmillan’s gardening groups and support people to undertake gardening activities and develop valuable skills. Volunteers make a real difference to cancer patients and their families and communities. There are many opportunities for people to help in Macmillan Cancer Support.

Macmillan’s partnership with North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire is delivered in our libraries. I am happy to say that Wishaw and Motherwell libraries in my constituency are supporting the big coffee morning. Wishaw had its event on 5 September and Motherwell’s is yet to come. People in the local community can attend Motherwell library on 26 September and take part in the world’s biggest coffee morning.

Tonight could not pass without thank yous, and I say a huge thank you to the Macmillan professionals and nurse practitioners, who work within or in partnership with the national health service to support cancer patients and their families, and deliver vital support and information. I put on record my thanks—and, I am sure, that of the whole chamber—to each and every person who has organised, participated in or attended a Macmillan coffee morning this September. We should all raise a china cup or a mug in support of them.

17:12  

I thank Clare Adamson for bringing this important topic to the chamber for debate. It is always great when we can celebrate success stories in the chamber, and Macmillan’s coffee morning fundraiser is a huge success story. The coffee morning is now in its 29th year, and this year’s event, which will take place on Friday 27 September, is thought to be the charity’s biggest ever, with people all over the United Kingdom taking part.

It goes without saying that we have probably all been affected by cancer in some way, whether it is ourselves or someone close to us. Whatever the situation, a cancer diagnosis can change our lives. It presents emotional, physical and financial burdens that many families find extremely difficult to cope with. The invaluable services that Macmillan provided to my family when my granny was diagnosed with cancer really helped us to cope and understand. I know that many other families like mine will want to thank Macmillan for all the amazing work that it does at a time when it seems that our world is falling apart.

In Scotland, it is expected that by 2020 around 35,000 people a year will be told that they have cancer—a phenomenal figure. Although the survival rates for many cancers have improved over the past 20 years, the total number of people diagnosed with the disease is increasing year on year. Macmillan recognises how important it is to improve the lives of those with cancer and support them throughout their journey. Amazingly, as Clare Adamson noted, the coffee mornings have raised more than £200 million since 1990—money that has gone towards research as well as emotional, physical and financial support for patients.

It is estimated that, last year, nearly 2 million people received in-depth, personal support from Macmillan professionals or services. On that note, I thank the thousands of Macmillan nurses, health professionals, fundraisers and volunteers who care for people who are living with cancer and support them through difficult times.

Through fundraising events, we can in turn support the work of Macmillan. Those events are by no means insignificant. Macmillan estimates that it raised an incredible £27 million from last year’s coffee morning event. Next week, it is expected that thousands of people will take part in the world’s biggest coffee morning, making it the biggest yet.

A couple of years ago, I hosted a Macmillan coffee morning in my office in Maryhill in Glasgow. I was impressed by the resource kit that I was given, which contained bunting, cake decorations, stickers and a collection box. I felt heartened by the level of interest that the event received in the local community. Not only was it a great way to raise money for a great cause, it provided the perfect chance to catch up with friends and meet new people over a cuppa and a slice of cake. At a time when we are talking more and more about the importance of community-based events and tackling social isolation and loneliness, such events are already invaluable.

The events are easy to host and I encourage anyone who is interested in doing so to sign up on the Macmillan website. The coffee morning does not need to be held next Friday; people can hold it when it is convenient for them.

I again thank Clare Adamson for shining a light on the fantastic work that Macmillan does. The world’s biggest coffee morning is the icing on the cake for a charity that works relentlessly to improve the lives of those who have cancer.

I wish everyone who is hosting or attending a coffee morning next week the best of luck and I sincerely hope that the event is a massive success.

17:16  

It is my pleasure to speak in this debate about the incredible service that Macmillan Cancer Support provides and I thank my colleague Clare Adamson for bringing it to the chamber.

We cannot put a value on the work that Macmillan Cancer Support does to help cancer sufferers and their families. All of us, whether directly or indirectly, have been or will be touched by cancer; it is amazing to know that there is comfort, advice and support available.

The public’s biggest contribution in the fight against cancer is to raise awareness and funds for research and the invaluable work that is done by charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support.

One of the most pleasurable ways to raise money is by taking part in the world’s biggest coffee morning. Who does not like a cuppa, a cake and a natter with friends?

With absolutely no regard to my diet, my office staff have organised a coffee morning in my Kirkintilloch constituency office next Monday. There will be cakes, coffee and tea, and dog biscuits for those who bring their four-legged friends. I am looking forward to it enormously. I feel bound to disclose that my contribution will come in a box provided by the local supermarket, because baking is not my forte. However, Macmillan’s partnership retailer, Marks and Spencer, is donating a percentage of cake sales to the charity, so that salves my conscience in some way.

As Annie Wells outlined, Macmillan makes it so easy to host an event; it sends hosts a full kit, complete with bunting, posters and everything that they need.

The annual coffee morning is the biggest fundraising event that is held for people who face cancer. Last year, coffee mornings raised more than £27 million and, since its small beginnings in 1990, when people donated the cost of a cuppa to Macmillan, more than £200 million has been raised for the charity. That is incredible. That money helps everyone who has cancer to live life as fully as they can, while being supported and cared for.

Last month, the Scottish Government announced £18 million in funding for the charity to provide one-to-one clinical support for people with cancer. That is an indication of just how important the work done by Macmillan Cancer Support and its volunteers is, and how far the charity has come over decades.

The support that Macmillan gives is all-encompassing and is forever growing, whether it is financial, emotional or practical.

At Stobhill hospital, the nearest hospital to my constituency, Macmillan piloted the transforming care after treatment programme, which Clare Adamson mentioned. It offered counselling and support to those who had beaten cancer but still needed psychological and physical check-ups to ensure that they were coping. That was invaluable to people left with the trauma of diagnosis and to allay concerns of the cancer returning.

I urge everyone to support the world’s biggest coffee morning. People should look out for their nearest event; there is sure to be one near them. Every sip of coffee and every bite of cake will go towards helping someone to cope with the trauma of cancer. That is how we can all do our bit to fight the scourge of cancer.

17:19  

I congratulate Clare Adamson on securing the debate and on her passionate opening speech. She has already done her job, because I did not have the world’s biggest coffee morning in my diary—that is a terrible confession for a heath spokesperson to make. That is now rectified, and I hope that we will all save the date of Friday 27 September. Rona Mackay convinced me by mentioning cake a lot. We are all feeling a bit peckish now.

I pick up where Rona Mackay left off by saying that cancer is traumatic. There cannot be a family in Scotland that has not been touched by cancer in some way. Our family has certainly had to cope with it in the past couple of years. I am pleased that the outcome for my mum has been good. However, that would not have been possible without the volunteers, the fantastic transport service that we have in Lanarkshire—Clare Adamson, who is nodding, knows all about that service as it is based in her constituency—and the personal interactions and one-to-one conversations that people may not be able to have with their nearest and dearest. Those things are so important, and I cannot think of a better cause.

Some of the recent announcements from the Scottish Government and Macmillan have been really positive. It is important that we see investment in the cancer journey. Scotland’s cancer care system has been facing unprecedented challenges. We do a lot of cross-party work to look hard at how we can prevent cancer in the first place and address some of the terrible health inequalities that we see.

The £80 million partnership between Macmillan Cancer Support and the Scottish Government is welcomed by Labour members, because that wraparound support is vital and we want the cancer journey to be improved for everyone. It is worth mentioning some background to that. The 2018 cancer experience survey found that 40 per cent of cancer patients were not offered advice on how to access social security; less than one third received a care plan. From debt to depression, we know that people need support and that we can do a lot to help them through their cancer experience.

As a fellow Lanarkshire MSP, I was pleased to hear Clare Adamson mention colleagues in North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire. Making it accessible for people to drop into their library and leisure centre is important, even if they do not feel physically ready to take part in activities.

It is also worth mentioning the ambition behind the transforming cancer care partnership, which aims to make sure that every cancer care patient in Scotland is reached, and to make Scotland the first country in the UK to fulfil its promise on personalised care. That is also important.

The world’s biggest coffee morning is world leading, and it is a good opportunity for parliamentarians to come together with people in their community to enjoy a cuppa and a chat. More important, it is a good opportunity for us to make our commitment clear—to end cancer one day and to do more on research, but also to make sure that people who are going through it now get the support that they need.

17:23  

I thank Clare Adamson for securing this important debate. Let me start by saying that everybody knows someone close to them who has suffered from cancer. Over a three-year period, my father-in-law, my mother and my father died of cancer. I take a great interest in this issue, which is very close to my heart. That is why I support Macmillan Cancer Support.

Indeed, I must also state an interest at this point and declare that my wife is the chair of a local Macmillan Cancer Support fundraising group. Nothing drives me more than supporting this charity, especially because—as my wife never fails to remind me—as she supports me, I should always support her. I do so knowing that I will have to sign up not only to the coffee morning, but to the Macmillan fun run on Speyside each year. I know which one I prefer. One is good for my waistline and one is not.

Let me be clear: such fundraising groups allow Macmillan to help cancer sufferers, and their work is more important than ever. Every two minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer. Advances in medicine have meant that people with cancer have years added to their lives or even get the all clear. There are 2.5 million people living with cancer across the UK today, but thanks to better treatment, that number is expected to rise to nearly 4 million by 2030. That means that, more than ever, we need the work that Macmillan nurses do, so fundraising must go on.

I know that the charity will rise to that challenge, as it is blessed to have some of the most hard-working fundraising groups across the country. As we heard, last year the world’s biggest coffee morning raised more than £1.9 million across Scotland and more than £150,000 in the Highlands and Islands region. Let us not forget that, since 1990, the world’s biggest coffee morning has raised nearly £200 million, which is an astonishing sum.

Fundraising is not just limited to coffee mornings. I remind members that, over the course of a year, there are lunches, jazz evenings and fun runs, to name but a few examples. Local committee groups pour so much energy into organising those events, and we as a Parliament should do all that we can to celebrate their efforts. For example, the Speyside committee group recently handed over a cheque for £10,000 to Macmillan. That would not have been possible without devoted volunteers such as Marjorie Walker and Margaret Shepherd, who joined the group just after it was established in the 1970s and have served on the committee for more than 45 years—that is a lot of coffee mornings. Although their service is special, it is not extraordinary, as there are a number of equally committed groups and advocates across the Highlands and Islands region.

I urge everyone to support Macmillan’s world’s biggest coffee morning this September and to take the time to celebrate the fundraising efforts of local Macmillan groups across Scotland. I will, and I know that my waistline will suffer.

17:26  

I echo the comments of others in congratulating and thanking Clare Adamson for lodging the motion, which enables all of us to engage in a debate on an important subject.

Let me explain why I am responding on behalf of the Government. Much to her regret, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport is engaged on other significant Government business, and is therefore unable to be here. However, I hope to be a worthy—or, perhaps, at least adequate—substitute.

Today’s debate gives us the opportunity not only to highlight some of the fantastic work that is done by Macmillan Cancer Support, as members have already done, but to recognise our collective achievements thus far, and to consider the road ahead. We should take stock, but we should also look to the future.

Few among us do not know someone close to us who has been touched by cancer. Edward Mountain, Monica Lennon and Annie Wells shared their family experiences. About 220,000 people in the country are living with the impact of a cancer diagnosis, and that number is set to reach 343,000 by 2030. Cancer can be a devastating disease that tests all aspects of a patient’s life. It can also have a pronounced impact on the lives of close family members. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the care that we offer patients helps them not just physically, but with the mental, emotional, financial and wider life impacts of the disease.

That is why the Scottish Government’s recently announced exciting £18 million partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support is so important. The transforming cancer care programme makes Scotland the first country in the UK to offer every single cancer patient guaranteed emotional, practical and financial support. The First Minister and the health secretary announced the partnership at the Beatson west of Scotland cancer centre in Glasgow at the end of August. Having the privilege to visit a life-saving centre such as the Beatson, and having the opportunity to speak with cancer patients, drove home to them the real-life positive effects that the initiative will have for so many people—not just the patients, but their loved ones.

As is the case with many new initiatives, for patients and clinicians to get the most benefit out of the partnership, a cohesive uptake by health boards, local authorities and the wider third sector will be needed. By ensuring that patients are signposted to the appropriate resources when that is required, we can begin to assess strategically and to meet the non-clinical needs of people who are affected by cancer, and we can begin to alleviate stress on other areas of our NHS, which will allow clinicians to focus on treating patients. It is vital that all involved—integration joint boards, health boards and the third sector—unite to make the most of the pioneering partnership.

Alongside that work, the health secretary has signalled that there will be a refresh of the Scottish Government’s £100 million cancer strategy. Much has been achieved under the strategy, but as research and technology advance, so should our thinking and focus. The refresh will allow us to realign our attention to the areas related to cancer that need it most. In progressing that work, the cabinet secretary has committed to involving the Scottish cancer coalition: indeed, I understand that we have already initiated that discussion with the coalition.

There are, of course, ways in which we, as individuals, can demonstrate our support for the cause. As other members have noted tonight, Friday 27 September will mark the 29th annual Macmillan Cancer Support world’s biggest coffee morning. The proceeds will continue to help Macmillan to support many cancer patients across Scotland. As we have heard, the coffee morning started life in 1990 as a small gathering. Over the years, it has grown larger and larger, to the point at which, all told, more than £200 million has been raised to help cancer patients. Clare Adamson rightly described that as “a phenomenon”.

One of the main reasons why the coffee morning is so successful is how simple and easy it is for anyone and everyone to get involved. I, too, encourage every one of my colleagues in the chamber today either to host their own event on 27 September, or to support one that is already being held, because every single penny that is raised helps.

I think that I speak for everyone here today when I say that we cannot thank enough each and every one of our extraordinary staff, nurses and volunteers at Macmillan who work tirelessly to help cancer patients. Rona Mackay was right when she said that

“We cannot put a value on the work that Macmillan Cancer Support does”.

Those people make the biggest difference in supporting people through what can be some of the most challenging times in their lives.

I also want to acknowledge the role of cancer sufferers’ families in providing love and support and, in many cases, in fundraising for Macmillan, either through hosting a coffee morning or through other means, such as those that were highlighted by Edward Mountain.

As I have mentioned, we still have much to do in our fight against cancer, but through innovative technology, new advances in medicine, a determined workforce of dedicated staff and the selfless acts of charity that we continue to see, I am certain that we are on the right path. Our thanks again go to Macmillan for the huge part that it plays.

Meeting closed at 17:31.