Frequently asked questions

Afternoon Tea is one of Breast Cancer Now’s longest running and most loved fundraising campaigns.

This August, we’re calling on people across the UK to dust off their whisks, stick the kettle on, and hold an Afternoon Tea to raise money for people affected by breast cancer.  

It could be scones in the sunshine, a picnic in the park, iced buns on your balcony, or tea and biscuits in your town hall. Give it a go and sign up for your fundraising kit. 

Whatever you choose to do, we’ll be right there to support you. So, whether you need recipes, fundraising goodies, or fun-filled games to play, we’ll help make your tea happen. 

Breast Cancer Now is the UK’s largest breast cancer research and support charity.

Steered by world-class research and powered by life-changing support, Breast Cancer Now are here for anyone affected by breast cancer, the whole way through, providing support for today and hope for the future. 

To find out more about our work, visit the central Breast Cancer Now website.  

Just fill out this quick and easy form, we’ll then send you one of our fantastic fundraising kits full of inspiration and decorations. If you’d prefer to register over the phone, you can always call us on 0333 2070 300. 

Last year Afternoon Tea fundraisers raised £1.8 million. 

The money raised is helping to change the future of breast cancer. It could…

Fund seven 3-year research projects. The collective fundraising could pay for seven experienced researchers to carry out an entire research project. That’s salaries, running costs, equipment and whatever else is needed to tackle some of the biggest problems in breast cancer.

Or help 60,000 people affected by breast cancer get vital answers by calling our free helpline. No question is too big or too small, and all calls are answered by breast care nurses and trained staff.

Planning an Afternoon Tea is fun and easy! The first thing you need to do is register.  

To do this, just fill out this quick and easy form. We’ll then send you one of our fundraising kits full of inspiration and decorations. If you’d prefer to register over the phone, you can always call us on 0333 2070 300.  

Then pop a date in the diary, invite guests and get planning. You could have a small event with your nearest and dearest, or you could invite friends, family, neighbours and colleagues! 

However you do your tea, the money you raise will help change the lives of people affected by breast cancer.  

If you’d prefer to hold your event a different month, that’s absolutely fine. 

When you’ve set your date, please do pop us an email letting us know. We’d love to wish you the best of luck!

Your fundraising kit will be sent second class and can take up to 2 weeks to arrive. If you’re worried you won't receive it in time for your event, please do let us know at afternoontea@breastcancernow.org, and we’ll see what we can do.  

While you wait, we have lots of wonderful materials available on our website that you can download and print at home. We’re also on hand if you need any inspiration, tips or have any questions.  

Of course! We have lots of wonderful materials we can send you to help with your fundraising.   

To order some materials, just head to our extra orders site, select the items you would like, and we'll get them sent out. If you’d like more than 3 of any material (the current maximum), just pop us an email and we’ll see what we can do.  

To create your page, just head to JustGiving, click on “start fundraising” and follow the steps.

Yes, we have lots of premade games you can play, including a tea-themed quiz, bingo, sweepstakes and many more.

You can download games to play or order some to your door. 

We have lots of scrumptious recipes to help you bake a difference.

There are some delicious recipes on the website and in the recipe book from supporters and celebrities, including MasterChef winner Jane Devonshire’s apricot and almond cupcakes.

You can talk to other incredible Afternoon Tea supporters, get some brilliant tips, and see what everyone is up to by joining the Afternoon Tea Facebook group. 

We’ve put together a handy blog that's full of tips to follow when organising a raffle. For example, did you know that you can only sell raffle tickets at the location of and during your event? So, make sure you take a peek.  

You can find out more information by reading the Gambling Commission’s advice on how to run a fundraiser with lotteries or raffles at events. 

If you have any questions at all, do get in touch at afternoontea@breastcancernow.org or 0333 2070 300. 

Gift Aid is a brilliant way of increasing the value of your donation at no cost to yourself or your guests. 

Please encourage anyone who makes a donation at your Afternoon Tea to sign up if they’re eligible. This means that for every £1 donated, Breast Cancer Now will be able to claim 25p from HMRC.

The additional support will help to fund Breast Cancer Now’s vital work, making a difference to the lives of even more people affected by breast cancer. 

So please pop your Gift Aid form with your collection box and remember to encourage everyone at your Afternoon Tea event to add their full name, home address, postcode and donation amount and date. And to tick the Gift Aid box if they’re eligible.

To sign up for Gift Aid, a guest must be a UK tax payer and pay an amount of Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax each tax year (6 April – 5 April) at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities they donate to will reclaim on their gifts for that tax year. Other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. 

If you are the Afternoon Tea organiser, please note that HMRC do not allow you to claim Gift Aid on the total amount that you have collected. Please encourage anyone who has donated to your collection to add their details to the Gift Aid form for the individual amount they donated. 

To find out more about Gift Aid, visit the Gov UK website.

You can let us know at any time whether you are eligible for Gift Aid or not by getting in touch with our Supporter Care Team: email at hello@breastcancernow.org or by phoning 0333 20 70 300. 

Many companies will support their employees’ charity of choice by offering to match the funds raised. Please ask your employer as it’s a fantastic way to boost your fundraising efforts and helps Breast Cancer Now fund even more research and support.

Here are a few ways to pay in your fantastic fundraising:

By Card: Go to breastcancernow.org/afternoonteapay or call 0333 20 70 300  to pay in over the phone.

Send a cheque: Write us a cheque made payable to ‘Breast Cancer Now’. Send to Freepost AFTERNOON TEA (no other address lines needed). Please mention Afternoon Tea and include your contact details along with your Afternoon Tea registration number.

At the bank: If you would like a paying in slip to pay cash into our account, just let us know. Please note there are some restrictions so we recommend considering different ways to pay in if possible.

JustGiving send your fantastic fundraising straight to us.

Please note, it can take a few weeks for donations to be sent to us, so do bear with us if it takes a short while to thank you.

Of course! Once you’ve paid in your fundraising, we’ll send you a thank you letter and certificate in the post that you can display.  

If you have any questions about the certificate, or if you’d like a digital copy, please do get in touch with the tea-loving team at afternoontea@breastcancernow.org or call us 0333 20 70 300. 

We’re sorry to hear you can’t hold an Afternoon Tea this year and it’s extremely kind of you to want to make a personal donation. Your generous support means so much to us.  

You can make your donation using our online form.  

Every 10 minutes, someone in the UK hears the words “you have breast cancer.” Your Afternoon Tea donation could help us be there for them, every step of the way. 

Whether that’s offering our free and trusted health information. Giving someone much-needed reassurance on our Helpline. Or funding cutting-edge research projects led by the brightest minds in breast cancer research – we’re dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by breast cancer, now and for generations to come.