Get together with friends and family between 20 and 29 June and raise money to help Marie Curie Nurses care for more people living with a terminal illness across the UK.

Like baking the perfect cake, a successful Blooming Great Tea Party is all about the right ingredients – nice cuppas and naughty cakes, old friends and new faces, bad jokes and good conversation.

And it can be whatever you blooming well want it to be too. A totally tea-rrific garden party, a communi-tea get together in the village hall or your very own blooming great bake off.

Ruth Smyth threw a tea party at her home last summer. Ruth says, “I planned everything using the pack that Marie Curie sent to me. I used the invites to let people know about the party and put up the flyers at my local church. I spent the couple weeks beforehand baking and getting everything ready.

“We had tea, coffee, lots of pretty cakes, cupcakes, scones, jam – you name it we had it! It was about four hours of people dropping in and out. Guests brought cakes and a Pavlova. They were all very generous with their donations.

“I loved just being in the middle of it all, talking to people about Marie Curie, as well as having fun and a laugh with everyone who came. In the end I raised around £250.”

Ruth decided to throw a tea party to give something back after Marie Curie Nurses cared for her mother in her final ten days.

Ruth says, “the Marie Curie Nurses were amazing. There were a few different night time nurses, but the same nurse came during the day. She knew exactly what she was doing with Mum’s care and had a great attitude. She even managed to get my dad to go to bed! He never wanted to leave my mum’s side. It also meant I got some time for myself too.

“In the end, I was on my own with mum when she died. I was tidying her room when she passed away.”

So if you would like to have a blooming great time this summer while raising money for a blooming great cause, then visit mariecurie.org.uk/teaparty and sign up to throw a tea party today.