P&O Cruises celebrates whipping up £1million for Macmillan Cancer Support with celebrity chef Eric Lanlard
P&O Cruises is celebrating after successfully raising an incredible £1million for charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support. Staff from the Southampton based company marked the fantastic fundraising milestone alongside celebrity chef and P&O Cruises Food Hero Eric Lanlard on board new ship Britannia. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
A special World’s Biggest Coffee Morning event was held on board to thank staff, crew and passengers from around the world for their hard work and generosity. World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is Macmillan’s flagship fundraiser and turned 25 on 25th September. Eric Lanlard created a special celebratory cake to mark the occasion.
P&O Cruises senior vice president of sales & marketing Paul Ludlow said, “I am very proud of our staff, crew and passengers for reaching this incredible milestone. It is down to their dedication and generosity that we have been able to provide vital services such as the healing garden for people affected by cancer. I look forward to growing the partnership so that we can work together to find new ways to help support people living affected by cancer in Southampton and beyond.”
Rachel Gascoigne, partnership manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, said, “Congratulations to everyone at P&O Cruises for reaching this magnificent milestone! We know that every day in the Southampton area, 29 people hear the devastating news that they have cancer. By 2030, the number of people living with and beyond cancer in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will nearly double and shockingly fill Southampton FC’s football stadium nearly four times. The funds that P&O Cruises has raised are vital to providing more services for people with cancer in the community and in turn, ensuring that no one has to face cancer alone.”
£1million is enough to fund 19 Macmillan nurses for one year and with the number of people living with cancer in the UK rising, the demand for Macmillan services has never been greater. Funds raised by P&O Cruises have funded a healing garden at Southampton General Hospital for people going through cancer treatment and their families. The garden now provides a tranquil place to relax when treatment is exhausting and overwhelming. The garden is part of the Macmillan Cancer Information Centre which has welcomed over 100,000 patients and family members during the 10 years that is has been open.
The partnership between P&O Cruises and Macmillan began in February 2013 and during this time P&O Cruises staff, crew and passengers have together raised £1 million for the leading cancer charity. Colleagues fundraised in various ways, including walking 106 kilometres around the Isle of Wight and holding coffee mornings on board.
About Macmillan Cancer Support
When you have cancer, you don’t just worry about what will happen to your body, you worry about what will happen to your life. Whether it’s concerns about who you can talk to, planning for the extra costs or what to do about work, at Macmillan we understand how a cancer diagnosis can take over everything.
That’s why we’re here. We provide support that helps people take back control of their lives. But right now, we can’t reach everyone who needs us. We need your help to make sure that people affected by cancer get the support they need to face the toughest fight of their life. No one should face cancer alone, and with your support no one will.
To get involved, call 0300 1000 200 today. And please remember, we’re here for you too. If you’d like support, information or just to chat, call us free on 0808 808 00 00 (Monday to Friday, 9am–8pm) or visit macmillan.org.uk
For more information, please contact:
Frankie Harrington, PR Officer, Macmillan Cancer Support
0207 840 5057 / fharrington@macmillan.org.uk
About P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises has a fleet of eight ships offering holidays tailored to British tastes combining genuine service, a sense of occasion and attention to detail, ensuring passengers have the holiday of a lifetime, every time. Azura was launched in April 2010 – officially named by Godmother Darcey Bussell CBE. Small ship Adonia was added to the fleet in May 2011, named by Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE. Britannia, a new 141,000 ton ship, was named by HM The Queen on March 10, 2015.
For further press information please contact:-
Michele Andjel, michele.andjel@carnivalukgroup.com 023 8065 6653 / 07730 732 072
Jenny Hadley, jenny.hadley@pocruises.com 023 8065 6650 / 07825 120 088
Hayley Paterson, hayley.paterson@pocruises.com 023 8065 6652
