The Community Mark co-founded: Supporting Mark Macrae

The Community Mark co-founded: Supporting Mark Macrae

In 2010, Mark Macrae founded SharePoint Saturday UK—the community event that later became CollabDays Bletchley Park. This year, we are celebrating what Mark started and bringing our community together to support him following his brain cancer diagnosis, with a dedicated keynote, retro-computing activities and fundraising throughout the event.

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CollabDays Bletchley Park has always been about community. This year, we are coming together for one of the people who helped start ours.

In 2010, Mark Macrae co-founded SharePoint Saturday UK—SPSUK with Tony Pounder & I. The event brought people together to share their knowledge, make connections and strengthen the UK SharePoint community. That community event subsequently evolved into what we know today as CollabDays Bletchley Park.

Mark Macrae hosting the first SPSUK alongside Tony Pounder and David Coleman

Mark has recently been diagnosed with brain cancer. A fundraising appeal has been created to help Mark and his family, and we would like to use CollabDays Bletchley Park 2026 to recognise what Mark began and support him during this extraordinarily difficult time.

A Givealittle page sharing Mark’s journey from fatigue to inoperable glioblastoma, helping fund treatment and support his care

We will dedicate our opening keynote to Mark and the community he helped create. Mark is also a lifelong retro-computing enthusiast, a Commodore 64 fan and a contributor to Commodore and Amiga publications. It is therefore especially fitting that our event takes place at The National Museum of Computing, surrounded by working examples of the machines he loves.

During the conference, attendees will be able to take part in special Press Play for Mark retro-computing activities, subject to final arrangements with the museum. We will also be raising money and sharing messages from the community with Mark.

During coffee breaks, and lunch, come and enjoy some retro gaming time - and Press Play for Mark!

For the first time, we also plan to open our pre-conference social to attendees. A contribution associated with the social will support Mark’s fundraising appeal, with full details to follow.

If Mark has taught this community anything, it is that bringing people together can create something that lasts. We hope you will join us in celebrating what he started and helping one of the people behind it.

Support Mark: Help Keep This Brain Running