Greene King and Macmillan Partnership recognised as one of the UK's most admired non-profit partnerships

Greene King and Macmillan Cancer Support have been recognised as one of the UK’s most admired non-profit partnerships in the C&E Advisory’s Corporate-Non-Profit Partnerships Barometer 2026.

The result was decided by a poll of 117 corporate and non-profit partnership professionals from many of the world’s leading businesses and charities, and highlighted the partnership’s longevity, shared purpose, strategic alignment, and measurable impact.

Since the start of the partnership in 2012, Greene King and Macmillan have built their relationship around a shared commitment to the communities they serve. While fundraising remains at the heart of the partnership, its scope has expanded in recent years, combining Greene King’s reach through its pubs across the country with Macmillan’s expertise in supporting people affected by cancer.

Today, the organisations are working together to find new ways to raise awareness, encourage conversations about health and wellbeing, and signpost people to where they can find Macmillan’s services and support. One example of this activity is the Early Bell campaign, launched earlier this year by Greene King and Macmillan to raise awareness of prostate cancer symptoms. Pubs across the UK rang their last orders bell at 6pm to signify that one in six men in the UK will be diagnosed with the condition in their lifetime*. The campaign encouraged customers to talk about prostate cancer and to understand the symptoms, directing them towards trusted information and support from Macmillan.

Andrew Bush, Chief Strategy & Experience Officer at Greene King, said: “We're honoured to see our partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support recognised in this year's C&E Barometer. This recognition reflects how our approach has evolved over the past 14 years from a traditional corporate charity partnership focused predominantly on fundraising, into a strategic collaboration that is now embedded in how we deliver positive impact across our business for our teams, our customers and the communities we serve.

"While fundraising remains incredibly important, we're equally focused on using our scale and reach to provide a trusted community space where important conversations can be had, where we can help raise awareness of health issues and connect people with the help and support they may need. We're proud of what we've achieved with Macmillan so far and are excited to continue evolving the partnership in ways that create lasting value for both our organisations and the communities we support."

Gemma Peters, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "Our brilliant partnership with Greene King has been recognised as one of the UK's most admired collaborations, and moments like this show what's possible when charities and businesses build a true partnership around a shared purpose.

"For nearly 15 years, Greene King team members, customers and communities have gone above and beyond to help make sure nobody faces cancer alone. What began as a fundraising partnership in 2012 has grown into something much bigger.

"This award is a testament to the commitment of Greene King colleagues and customers who have helped us do whatever it takes for people living with cancer. We're incredibly proud of everything we've achieved together so far, and I'm excited for what we achieve next for people living with cancer."

The partnership’s success is also underpinned by the commitment of Greene King’s team members, customers and supplier partners, whose fundraising efforts have helped to raise more than £27 million for Macmillan since the partnership began.

Greene King and Macmillan will continue to build on the partnership, exploring how pubs can help Macmillan reach more people with its information and services closer to where they live.