WHEN fund-raiser Emma Monckton organised her first-ever World's Biggest Coffee Morning event, the most exciting prize on her tombola was a tin of beans.
Fourteen years later, she expects up to 80 people to turn up at her home over two days, has more than 70 prizes to give away in her raffle and will hold a "guess how many balloons are in the car" competition.
The 46-year-old decided to get involved with the annual fund-raiser for Macmillan Cancer Support after receiving help from the charity before her father's death.
Jim Fair, 56, died in 1999. He had been given the all-clear after being diagnosed with bladder cancer but later developed a form of bone cancer.
Emma, of Swadlincote, held her first coffee morning the following year and, since then, has gone on to raise more than £11,000 for Macmillan.
She said: "I can't really remember what we made the first year. It was possibly about £100.
"Macmillan was just so good to us when my dad was unwell. The nurses looked after him before he died and they were like angels – they are certainly special.
"I realised I wanted to do something for them and, after hearing about the World's Biggest Coffee Morning, I decided to go for that.
"My husband said: 'Why don't you just give them £50?' but I thought: 'No, I can use that £50 to raise even more money.'
"Last year was a bumper one and we raised about £2,900, so it really has gone from strength to strength."
Emma holds two events for the World's Biggest Coffee Morning, which will see thousands of coffee mornings and events held across the country on Friday.
She said, because her friends find it difficult to attend her event on the Friday itself, she will also be holding a coffee evening the night before.
Emma, of Woodward Way, said: "The event is much bigger now than it was when we first started. We had a bit of a tombola, a raffle and that was about it.
"This year, we'll have a chocolate hamper, a guess-the-calorie competition, name-the-teddy competition, a sponsored wax being done by one of my husband's friends, angel readings and so on.
"What's nice about it now is that everyone knows we do it, so the event sort of runs itself. I have a lot of help from my kids, who are 20 and 18, and people are keen to get involved.
"I just delegate now, really!"
Emma will be among thousands of people in Derbyshire who will either hold a coffee morning or attend one on Friday.
More than £190,000 was raised during the World's Biggest Coffee Morning by people in Derbyshire last year – part of a record £20 million raised nationwide.
This included about £87,500 from events in Derby.
This year, the charity is hoping that the county can raise £220,000 – with individuals, groups, schools and businesses all invited to hold a coffee morning – though it does not have to be on the day itself.
And they do not have to hold an actual coffee morning – wine-tasting events, dinner parties and fancy-dress days are among the popular alternatives.
Macmillan said funds raised in Derbyshire would go towards services at the Royal Derby Hospital and Chesterfield Royal Hospital.
To find out more about the World's Biggest Coffee Morning or to register a last-minute event, visit www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee or call 0845 6021246.
* A training adviser plans to hold her coffee morning for Macmillan at her office because her house is too small to accommodate everyone.
Jane Rice, who works for Total Hire and Sales, in Alfreton Road, Derby, approached her bosses to see if she could hold "one great big coffee morning" instead.
She was first inspired to hold an event after her sister, Dawn Ilaria, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She has since been given the all-clear.
Jane said: "A lot of staff at Total Hire have been affected by cancer in some way. I was delighted when I found out we were able to use Total's training centre to hold one big coffee morning."
Jane's coffee morning, which will include Alfreton Road residents, Total Hire & Sales staff and her friends and family, will take place on Friday and has a fund-raising target of £1,000.
YOUR COFFEE MORNING GUIDE
TOMORROW:Holbrook Slimming World Group, Holbrook C of E Primary School, Moorside Lane, from 5.30pm.
Moody and Woolley Solicitors, St Mary's Gate, 10am-noon.
FRIDAY:DERBY
Aga Shop, Queen's Street, all day.
Alvaston Infant School, Elvaston Lane, from 9am.
Birches Residential Care Home, 187 Station Road, Mickleover, from 9am.
Café bar at Quad, Market Place, 10am-noon.
Can-Can, The Strand, from 10am.
Cathedral Cafe, Iron Gate, from 10am.
Co-op Travel, London Road, Alvaston, from 10am.
Derby College, Locomotive Way, 8am-11am. (plus 10.30am until noon in the Johnson Building)
D Label, Chapel Street, Spondon, from 9am.
East Midlands Trains, Derby Station – Fund-raising in the first-class lounge, ticket office and all trains between Sheffield and London and stations on that route, all day.
Ej's Pharmacy, Crayford Road, Alvaston, 9.30am-12.30pm.
Lighthouse Church, Oakside Way, Oakwood, from 10am.
Marks and Spencer Café, Intu Centre, from 10am.
Nando's Restaurant, Market Place, from 10am.
The No53 store, Sadler Gate, from 10am.
Richard Petrie Optometrists, Burton Road, Littleover, from 9.30am.
Rotadata Ltd, Bateman Street, 8am-noon.
Spondon Florists, Osmaston Road, Allenton, from 9am.
Spondon Liberal Club, Moor Street, from 10am–1pm.
Starbucks at Derby County Football Club, iPro Stadium, Pride Park, 9.30am-11am.
Tenpin Derby, Forresters Leisure Park, Sinfin Lane, from noon.
University of Derby, Kedleston Road, from 9am.
Vivid Beauty Salon, Carnaby Close, Mackworth, from 10am.
Wayfarer Café, Osmaston Road, 11am until 2pm.
Zan Fish, Burton Road, Littleover, from 9:30am.
DERBYSHIRE AND ELSEWHERE
The Albion Pub, Shobnall Road, Burton, from 9am.
Amber Sound FM, Unit 2.1, Unicorn Business Park, Wellington Street, Ripley, from 8.30am
Best Western Premier Yew Lodge Hotel, Packington Hill, Kegworth from 9.30am.
Blenheim House, 56 Main Street, Etwall, from 10am.
Boars Head Hotel, Station Road, Draycott-in-the-Clay, from 9am.
Bourne's Restaurant at Denby Pottery, Derby Road, Denby, 10am-noon.
Brick Room at Christ Church Linton and Castle Gresley, Main Street, Linton, 10am-noon.
Charlotte's Coffee and Cake, 10 Woodmand Croft, Hatton, from 11.30am.
Coffee at the Hawk, 46 Main Street, Etwall, from 10.30am.
Dale Road Methodist Church, Dale Road North, Darley Dale, from 10am.
Derby College, Pimlico, Ilkeston, 9am-1pm.
Discount Party Warehouse, Prospect Court, Nottingham Road, Ripley, from 10am.
Don Amott Leisure Kingdom, Egginton Road, Hilton, from 10.30am.
Fairways Garden Centre Café, Clifton, Ashbourne, from 10am.
Fauld House Nursing Home, Fauld Lane, Fauld, near Tutbury, from 10.30am.
Girlguiding Derbyshire, Suite 1A Business Centre, North Mill, Bridge Foot, Belper, from 10.30am.
Grouse and Claret, Old Station Close, Rowsley, from 10am.
Imagine Coffee Morning, Yeoman House, 16 The Green, Aston on Trent, from 10am.
John Varley Tripboat, run by the Chesterfield Canal Trust, will be afloat at Tapton Lock, just off the A61 roundabout, 10am-1pm.
King William Residential Home, Lowes Hill, Ripley, from 2pm.
Marehay Methodist Church, Warmwells Lane, Marehay, from 10am.
The Mews, 7 Church Street, Ripley, from 10am.
Milford Social Club, 5 Chevin Road, Milford, from 9am.
The Oak & Ivy, Wellington Street, Burton, from 11am.
Smalley Hall Residential Home, Main Street, Smalley, from 9.30am.
St John Street Gallery and Café, 50 St John Street, Ashbourne, from 9.30am.
Stretton Medical Centre, Ladywell Close, from 9.30am
Swadlincote Catholic Club, Dockland Road, 9am-1pm.
Tanks Teas Evergreen Centre, Egreaves Avenue, Loscoe, from 9.30am.
Victoria Park Leisure Centre, Manners Road, Ilkeston, from 9am.
The Waterfront at Barton Marina, Barton Under Needwood, from 10am.
The White Hart, Derby Road, Aston-on-Trent, from 10am.
SATURDAY:Carlton Club, Station Road, Ilkeston, from 10.30am.
The George, 20 Lowes Hill, Ripley, from 10am.
Glebe Close, South Normanton, from 11am.
Mill House Pub, Derby Road, Milford, from 10am.
Phillips Florist, St Peters Street, Stapenhill, from 11am.
South Wingfield Parish Rooms, Church Lane, from 10am.
