A SUPPORT centre for people living with cancer will feature on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen show.

The show was filmed at the Macmillan Horizon Centre in Brighton earlier this week, with participants taking part in a cookery workshop for the “World’s Biggest Coffee Morning”.

Centre manager Geoff Brown said: “Fundraising events like coffee mornings are vital to raise money so that Macmillan can support people living with cancer physically, emotionally and financially.

“We are funded almost entirely by donations and simply cannot support the growing number of people with cancer who need us without the public’s help.”

Mr Brown said coffee mornings raised just over £68,000 in Brighton and Hove last year, which could pay for a Macmillan nurse for one year, and help people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical and emotional support.

Lesley Graney, from Shoreham, who was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer last year and has been supported by the centre, was interviewed over coffee and cake by the show’s regular presenter, Jez Rose.

Jez, who is a honey bee farmer as well as a broadcaster, tweeted: “Heartwarming and filling day filming for @SaturdayKitchen with @MacmillanCancer ready for their World’s Biggest #CoffeeMorning”.

Polegate residents Paul and Sue Leacy also joined Jez in one of the centre’s “Eat well feel better” cookery workshops, which are run regularly by Macmillan consultant dietitian Mhairi Donald and café manager Emma Winder.

This week the theme was “Eat the rainbow”.

Participants cooked vegetarian food which was designed to be easy to make and nutritious for people having cancer treatment or recovering from the disease.

Macmillan coffee mornings are being planned across the city next Friday, September 27 in workplaces, schools, community centres, shops and people’s homes, all to raise money for the charity.

The Play Time children’s centre in Eaton Gardens, Hove, will have a selection of cakes donated by Brighton cafes and cake bakers, and raffle prizes have been donated by local businesses including Crystal Tips Beauty; Little Bookworms Shop; Emily McNair Design and Kate Henwood Photography.

Children will be able to decorate their own cupcakes and take part in a teddy tombola, with all proceeds going to Macmillan.

The first Macmillan Coffee Morning took place in 1990, when a handful of people came together for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake, and made a donation to Macmillan to help support people living with cancer.

The event has grown significantly over the years, with nearly 200,000 people planning on taking part in 2019, and the idea remains the same... to come together in support of people living with cancer and raising money for Macmillan.

The charity offers a range of cancer information and support services, including a free support line, and demand for Macmillan’s services is constantly growing.

There are at least 59,500 people living with cancer in the Sussex area, with that number estimated to rise to 95,000 by 2030.

Cancer can affect every aspect of a person’s life, from their day-to-day living and relationships to their finances and mental health.

Viewers can watch the “World’s Biggest Coffee Morning” episode of Saturday Kitchen on BBC1 at 10am today or on iPlayer.