Community centres, pubs and businesses throughout Swindon pooled their baking skills, generosity and desire for cakes to help raise money to support people living with cancer.

As part of the charity Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, hundreds of pounds were raised as workplaces and public spaces alike became temporary tea rooms.

Among those hosting a coffee morning was the Pear Tree at Purton.

Alix Young, their hotel manager, said: “We had just over 30 people, and we are still totting up, but we reckon we’ve raised more than last year. I think we should be just short of £300.

“It was a really interesting mix – some of the staff here made cakes, and the kitchen made some as well.

“We had a really good mix of people from the village pop in: some of our regulars who we see a lot, and a couple who hadn’t been in before. We also had a couple of one-year-olds running around helping themselves to cakes.”

At the Walcot Community Shop, manager Robert Thompson rallied staff and family members to put on a spread.

He said: “There were maybe 30, 40 people – it was quite good.

“I’ve had family members and staff from the shop baking. A lot of the local customers and some people who have never been in before came in.”

Although funds raised were yet to be totted up, Robert did report moneyboxes full of pound coins.

Coun Derique Montaut said of the event: “The community are engaged in helping people less fortunate than them; this is about giving the community a heart and helping others.

“It’s heaving with people, cakes are coming in from all over.”

Elsewhere, Swindon firm Media Plant raised more than £400 through selling coffee, cakes, and over 100 bacon rolls to local businesses, including £100 raised by managing director Sian Rudge – who paid the sum to pie sales director Scott Gough in the face.

Kingsdown School also raised £150 from their coffee morning.

At Nationwide, senior management competed in a speed cake-icing contest, as well as offering the traditional tea and cakes.

A spokesman said: “It was very successful. Lots of cakes on sale, lots of cups of tea, and raising money to support Macmillan.

“We don’t know how much we have raised yet – but over the last 24 years we have raised several million for Macmillan.”