A BUMPER £1,000 has been raised for Macmillan Cancer Support by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

The business organisation topped £600 at its Business Expo, when local businesses were encouraged to enter their culinary creations into the Great Chamber Bake Off, and the cakes were sold to raise funds for Macmillan.

One of the judges, Peter Rowland, Macmillan Cancer Support ambassador for Herefordshire and the Forest of Dean, said: "I am extremely grateful to the Chamber for kicking off our World's Biggest Coffee Morning week. The effort it put in to running the Bake Off is very much appreciated, and I would like to take the opportunity to say 'thank you' to all of the Chamber team on behalf of Macmillan Cancer Support."

Coffee mornings also took place at the Chamber's offices in Herefordshire and Worcestershire as part of Macmillan's Coffee Morning campaign. Staff were encouraged to bake cakes, which were then judged in a friendly spirit of competition. The Chamber's head of business systems, data and quality , Neil Brazier won the competition with his Malteser Mayhem cake. In total, the two coffee mornings raised £400, taking the Chamber's grand total to £1000, which is the most it has ever raised in 15 years of supporting the worthy cause.

Linda Smith, head of international trade at the Chamber of Commerce, organised the fundraising coffee morning. She said: "The tradition of Macmillan’s Coffee Morning was started at the Chamber fifteen years ago by a colleague we lost to cancer in 2003. In her memory we’ve continued to keep the event in the company’s calendar, very much driven by the in house international trade team. I like to create a competition each year amongst the staff and, with the UK’s growing passion for baking, the talent is starting to show."