Judith’s two big parties raise funds for cancer charity

It was losing a friend she knew through a baby and toddler group that first got Mrs Gurden involved in raising funds for the charity - and now, more than ten years later and having raised thousands of pounds, she invites around 50 people to her home, not only for a coffee morning, but also to a cheese and wine evening, to raise funds every year.

She said: “A few years ago, I started doing a cheese and wine evening as well so that more people who work during the day would be able to come.

“I used to do all the baking myself, but now people tend to bring cakes and raffle prizes.

“The evening one is quite a lot easier to organise as I just buy loads of different cheese and wine and it’s like a big party. We charge people £6 to come and they can eat and drink as much as they like and we also play games and run a raffle.”

Mrs Gurden is being helped by her daughter Charlotte at this year’s events, which are taking place at her home on September 14. She always takes any leftover cakes to sell to her colleagues at Warwickshire County Council, for which she works as an 
administrator, to raise additional funds.

She said: “Since I lost my friend to cancer all those years ago, a lot of my friends and colleagues have also been affected. Macmillan does such a good job - I feel that I would like to contribute towards their efforts.”

Macmillan’s Coventry and Warwickshire branch is hoping to raise £189,000 through this year’s coffee morning campaign.

To find out more or register an event, call 0845 602 1246 or visit http://www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee