Macmillan Cancer Support has launched a second new mass participation event in as many weeks, as it announces a new school fundraising programme.

The charity is hoping to capitalise on greater interest in dancing in primary school aged children with its new event, Dress Up and Dance. The announcement of this fundraiser follows Macmillan’s launch earlier in March of A Good Night In, a companion event to the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning which last year raised a record £15m.

Macmillan is aiming to recruit more than 800 primary schools, which would involve 140,000 young students. A spokeswoman said that the charity has had a long running association with primary schools, fundraising to providing support and information. One-third of primary schools took part in last year’s Coffee Morning.

This new event, which ties in with primary school PE, PSHE and Science curriculum, will encourage children to bring a £2 for Macmillan and come to school in their favourite dancing clothes.

Asked whether Macmillan is targeting parents or pupils, the spokeswoman said: “Schools events are a fantastic opportunity to involve the whole community as they are a natural hub.  This can include school clusters, local businesses, governors and parents/guardians.  For Dress Up and Dance we supply template parent letters and posters (pre/post event) to let parents know all about the event and include them in celebrating the successes too.”

Schools which register to take part will receive a toolkit from Macmillan featuring content tied in with the curriculum, it will include a DVD which will feature dances children can follow.

Speaking to Fundraising magazine last year, Macmillan director of fundraising Lynda Thomas said that while the charity embraced the success of Coffee Morning, she felt the organisation needed another one or two products like Coffee Morning for people to engage with.