Macmillan Cancer Support’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning will take place on Friday, with plenty of opportunities to get involved and raise money taking place across Central Bedfordshire.

Conceived in 1990, the annual event has become the charity’s biggest fundraising cause – with more than £200 million being raised in the 28 years it has been running.

Treetops Nursery has already kicked things off in Biggleswade, hosting a coffee morning on Saturday.

Following in their footsteps on Friday will be Marks and Spencer in the A1 Retail Park, who will have cake on offer all day, while Rosso Lounge in the Market Square will host their coffee morning from 10am to 1pm.

The George and Dragon pub in King Street, Potton, will be offering lots of activities for children at their event, which runs from 10am till 12 noon.

There will be three coffee mornings in the Arlesey, Stotfold and Henlow area, all held on Friday too.

Arlesey’s Community Resource Centre in High Street will be having a raffle at their event, which runs from 9am until 1pm.

In Stotfold, the Greenacre Centre in Valerian Way are running their event from 11am to 12pm, while, in Henlow, The Hair Factory salon in Hitchin Road will have cake on offer from 10am till 12 noon.

Speaking about why the fundraisers are so important, Carla Pilsworth – the head of regional fundraising for the East of England – said: “Right now 2.5 million people are living with cancer in the UK, and this number will increase to 5.3m by 2040.

“Being told you have cancer can affect so much more than your health – it can affect your family, your job and even your ability to pay your bills.

“But life with cancer is still a life, and at Macmillan we want to help everyone with cancer find their best way through – from the moment of diagnosis – so they are able to live life as fully as they can.

“Every coffee morning held for Macmillan will change a life and this year the event is set to raise over £27m for people living with cancer. We want to thank all of our supporters across Bedfordshire who are hosting or visiting a coffee morning.

“If you haven’t yet registered your event or would still like to sign up to host a coffee morning on another day it’s not to late – just visit www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee.”