Friends, family and colleagues across Stevenage, North Herts and beyond came together for the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning on Friday to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The Comet: Gladstone Court in Stevenage raised £800 for Macmillan Cancer Support at their coffee morning on Thursday. Picture: Gladstone CourtGladstone Court in Stevenage raised £800 for Macmillan Cancer Support at their coffee morning on Thursday. Picture: Gladstone Court (Image: Archant)

The event is now in its 28th year and has raised more than £200 million for the charity, which offers support to families affected by cancer.

In Stevenage, residents at Gladstone Court enjoyed coffee and cake a day on Thursday.

The Comet: The Brewery Tearooms in Walkern hosted a hippie themed fundraising weekend. Picture: Brewery TearoomsThe Brewery Tearooms in Walkern hosted a hippie themed fundraising weekend. Picture: Brewery Tearooms (Image: Archant)

Yvonne Howard organised the event with the help of some of the wardens and topped last year’s fundraising efforts.

She said: “Last year we raised more than £500 and this year we got the most out of all our sheltered housing. We managed to raise £800 and we are so pleased.”

The Comet: Knights Templar Crellin House students who brought in the most cakes for the Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning. Picture: DANNY LOOKnights Templar Crellin House students who brought in the most cakes for the Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning. Picture: DANNY LOO (Image: ©2018 Danny Loo Photography - all rights reserved)

Brewery Tearooms in Walkern hosted its ninth Macmillan and Cancer Hair Care fundraising weekend with a flower-power theme on Saturday and Sunday, complete with hippy photo-booth and a charity bike ride.

Tearooms owner Sarah Parker said: “A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported the event in some way, said ‘keep the change’, donated a prize or helped on the day.

The Comet: Showstopper cakes at the Knights Templar Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning. Picture: DANNY LOOShowstopper cakes at the Knights Templar Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning. Picture: DANNY LOO (Image: ©2018 Danny Loo Photography - all rights reserved)

“Collectively via the charity weekend and other non-related events, we will be donating just over £6,000 to charity.”

Knights Templar School in Baldock held a whole-school coffee morning on Friday. Organised by sixth-form students, each house was challenged to a cake-making competition which encouraged children across the school to enter hundreds of cakes.

The Comet: Showstopper cakes at the Knights Templar Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning. Picture: DANNY LOOShowstopper cakes at the Knights Templar Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning. Picture: DANNY LOO (Image: ©2018 Danny Loo Photography - all rights reserved)

Sixth-formers selected 21 ‘showstopper’ cakes that were entered into a raffle.

Headteacher Tim Litchfield said: “This was one of our best coffee mornings ever and I am incredibly proud of out school.

The Comet: Showstopper cakes at the Knights Templar Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning. Picture: DANNY LOOShowstopper cakes at the Knights Templar Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning. Picture: DANNY LOO (Image: ©2018 Danny Loo Photography - all rights reserved)

“The quality and volume of baking would rival any Macmillan Coffee Morning in the country I am sure. The other aspect of the morning that was very impressive was that it was purely student led operation. Well done to everyone involved.”

The winners of the house cake making competition was Sophia Botterman, and Crellin House for having the most students bring in cake and for making the best entry.

The Comet: Lily-Grace at the Graveley Village Hall pre-school enjoying some cake at their coffee morning. Picture: Laura McQueenLily-Grace at the Graveley Village Hall pre-school enjoying some cake at their coffee morning. Picture: Laura McQueen (Image: Archant)

The school raised £2,848 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The pre-school at Graveley Village Hall also took part in the event on Friday, and raised £310 for the charity.