Joyce has been a supporter of The Christie Charity since she was referred to The Christie for lymphoma treatment. After getting a diagnosis of lymphoma in 2013, Joyce was first treated at The Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan before being referred to The Christie.

At The Christie, Joyce said she found a hospital with a culture way beyond anything she’d ever experienced. She said that everyone had a smile and a positive attitude, and it didn’t take long to decide to fundraise for The Christie so she could express her gratitude.

Joyce decided to support Team Christie by hosting a Cuppa for The Christie event. Cuppa for The Christie is where people raise money for The Christie Charity by holding a coffee and cake sale. You can hold a Cuppa for The Christie at home, at work, in the garden, at your local park, in a community hall – it’s up to you.

For Joyce’s first Cuppa for The Christie, she invited friends and relatives for cake and coffee at her home. This was so successful that her events got bigger and bigger, and Joyce approached local businesses to donate raffle prizes.

Joyce’s Cuppa for The Christie events had to pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. When people could meet in person again, Joyce found they were reluctant to attend indoor events.

So that people would feel safer to attend Cuppa for The Christie events, Joyce decided to hold future events in her garden. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise – it gave more space for more people, it made it easier to get to the cake and coffee and as a result, Joyce made more money.

To protect against any bad weather, Joyce managed to borrow 2 gazebos and got another 1 for free. Friends lent her garden furniture and Joyce said the ‘cherry on the cake’ was the loan of a catering urn and tables so she could serve coffee on a bigger scale.

Joyce said that her Cuppa for The Christie parties raised more and more each year as she learned what worked, and word got around about how much fun they were. She also said none of her fundraising would be possible without the help of her 3 life-long friends who always pitch in at her events.

I started fundraising because I felt a duty to give something back for the treatment and care I was receiving. After listening to feedback and making adjustments, the parties went from success to success and people I meet actually check when the next one is, they love them so much.

Joyce Roughley, Christie fundraiser

“A major factor seems to be in the thank you letter I give to everyone after the event. It makes them part of the whole occasion when they get the feedback and a special thank you letter. The added bonus is that the parties appear to have brought my local community together with many new friendships forged in the process.
“The parties are really hard work, but the feelings of joy and achievement that everyone experiences when the final amount is revealed make it so worthwhile.”

  - Joyce Roughley, Christie fundraiser

Make a brew and make a difference by hosting your own Cuppa for The Christie event. We’ll give you a helpful fundraising guide, invites and posters, and Cuppa bunting to make your event a real success.

Joyce has also put together some really useful tips on how to make the most of your Cuppa for The Christie event – you can read her advice below.

  • Enlist the help of at least 2 good friends to assist (Joyce says her 3 life-long friends always help her!)
  • Decide the date of your Cuppa for The Christie event (Joyce says early September is best when the children are back at school)
  • Deliver invitations a month before the party
  • 2 weeks before the event, visit local shops and businesses to request raffle prizes (Joyce says she shows proof that she’s doing the event for The Christie Charity and the Charity’s details)
  • Collect and receive raffle donations from friends (unwanted Christmas and birthday gifts make good raffle prizes)
  • Collect garden furniture and gazebos loaned by friends
  • Purchase cakes and coffee, plus any disposable cups and plates if needed the day before (Joyce says that Costco small Victoria Sponges are number one sellers!)
  • Pre-slice cakes before the event and price up using cocktail stick flags
  • Display raffle prizes on a separate table with raffle tickets and collection boxes (Joyce says this is her major source of fundraising so a good display reaps greater rewards)
  • Place collection boxes strategically around the party
  • Have a trusted helper to dispense coffee and take money for this
  • At the end of the party, open the collection boxes and count the proceeds
  • Draw the raffle numbers out in front of witnesses, and distribute prizes as soon as possible
  • Once you’ve collected all the donations, present this to The Christie Charity
  • When the receipt is received from The Christie, photocopy this, attach it to personal letters of thanks and distribute it to all attendees and donors (Joyce says this takes a lot of time and effort but is probably the most important step – it gives people confidence that the money has been passed onto The Christie Charity but it also gives people feedback and credit for the amount raised)

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Registered charity number: 1201654