Wear A Hat Day is a nationwide success!

From banks to boatyards, schools and museums, restaurants and kitchen shops - everyone everywhere young and old got their hats on for Brain Tumour Research in the UK's biggest ever nationwide brain tumour awareness event. 

It's been an amazing and remarkable run up to Wear A Hat Day. We'll be sharing all the photos on our website here, and will provide updates on the fundraising successes from Wear A Hat Day soon. Many many thanks again for your incredible support. Don't forget you can follow our latest news on Facebook and Twitter, and we'll be sharing some of our best pictures on Pinterest too.    

Prime Minister David Cameron voices his support for Brain Tumour Research and Wear A Hat Day. 

Following the recent launch at the House of Commons of our new report revealing the current funding flows for cancer, David Cameron has spoken of his appreciation for our work.

“Brain cancer is a devastating disease and losing someone you love to such an aggressive illness is not only traumatic but also extremely distressing for the family and friends left behind. 

I welcome this new Brain Tumour Research report, produced by New Philanthropy Capital, bringing us up to date on the funding flows for cancer research.

This Government is committed to funding the fight against cancer and preventing people from dying prematurely is one of the five key focal points in our new NHS Outcomes Framework.

I applaud the important work being funded by the Brain Tumour Research charity and wish them all success with their annual fundraising campaign “Wear A Hat Day” on the 28th of March.”

DAVID CAMERON 

To read the full report, visit the New Philanthropy Caplital website here.

Wear a hat on 28th of March and join the nation in helping to raise funds for brain tumour research

On the 28th of March 2013, Brain Tumour Research, along with our brilliant family of member charities, fundraising groups and supporters, will be encouraging everyone across the UK to wear a hat. 

Our annual Wear A Hat Day has captured the nation’s imagination for several years now, proving to be increasingly popular. It is no surprise that it is now the UK’s premier brain tumour awareness event. 

From schools, colleges and universities to shops, offices and clubs, we are asking schoolchildren, students, workers, indeed everyone, to get involved. From best hat and hat throwing competitions to raffles, sponsored silences and passing the hat to collect donations, hundreds of organisations and thousands of people around the country will be helping to fund the fight against brain tumours.

How will you get involved? Find out more here and order your Wear A Hat Day fundraising pack today!

Got any questions? We’d love to hear from you: email Sarah@braintumourresearch.org or phone 01296 733011.

Brain tumour charity merger

Brain Tumour Research (which includes 20 member charities and 17 umbrella groups) welcomes the news that The Brain Tumour Charity and Brain Tumour UK have merged into one organisation. We congratulate these two charities for recognising the value of a merger to bring increased focus and resource available for the support of brain tumour patients and their carers. This unification will improve the flow of information and care provided for thousands of people. Continue reading on our Blog...

Bill Tarmey 04/04/41 - 09/11/12
 

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of our patron Bill Tarmey. 

Bill died on Friday November 9th whilst on holiday in Tenerife. 

Bill and his family became involved with Brain Tumour Research following the diagnosis of his son Carl. 

Through articles in the national press and appearances on TV shows such as All Star Family Fortunes Bill and his family have been massively supportive in raising funds and awareness. 

As well as being a national treasure Bill was a warm, compassionate man and all of us will miss him very much. 

Our thoughts are very much with Ali, Carl, Sandra and the rest of his family at this time.

RIP Bill - always in our hearts.

Update: We are honoured that Bill's family have asked friends, colleagues and members of the public to make a donation in memory of Bill to Brain Tumour Research instead of sending flowers. You can make a donation here.   

New Brain Tumour Research Laboratory Launched

First of seven ‘Centres of Hope’ expands bid to beat brain tumours.
 

More people under 40 die of a brain tumour than any other cancer yet brain tumours remain the most underfunded area of research.  The fight to challenge this status quo took a welcome boost with the opening of a new brain tumour research laboratory opens at the University of Portsmouth.

The new laboratory complements the University's existing research facility, led by Professor Geoff Pilkington, one of the world’s leading brain tumour research scientists.

Member charities Ali’s Dream, Charlie’s Challenge and Headcase, will have raised one million pounds in 2012 to support the laboratory. Named after seven year old Alison Phelan (the inspiration behind Ali’s Dream) who was lost to a brain tumour, the Alison Phelan Memorial Laboratory was declared open on Thursday 1st November, significantly increasing the size of the current facility.  Read Press Release

See Stories - Alison Phelan; Charlie Boutwood; Becky Speirs

Brand New Autumn Campaign ‘Conquer it Together’ now launched

Set a Challenge for yourself, friends and colleagues to raise money for a new ‘Centre of Hope’.

Challenge yourself either mentally or physically to raise as much awareness and sponsorship money as possible.  If everyone involved aims high, together we can raise £1 million and launch a new ‘Centre of Hope’, a centre dedicated to brain tumour research.

Step outside your comfort zone to achieve a goal or realise a long-held ambition, or organise a team event to reach heady new heights of endurance, the finish line of an extreme challenge or simply to have a fun afternoon.

Set yourself a goal to generate hundreds of pounds or as a group to raise thousands in sponsorship and together we‘ll be on our way to that new ‘Centre of Hope’.

For more information and to download your ‘Conquer it Together’ fundraising pack go to our ‘Conquer it Together’ page.

Go on, take on the Challenge and don’t forget to send us your photos!

Erica and Charlotte climb Kilimanjaro

Earlier this year two best friends from Nottingham climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research. Erica Moth and Charlotte Moore chose the charity as it is very close to their hearts. Sadly Erica lost her brother Rob 10 years ago to a brain tumour and Charlotte’s mum Judy has 3 brain tumours, although benign.

The girls embarked on a tough training programme and organised events to help raise funds. Many friends & family supported and sponsored and they managed to raise an incredible £9k for the charity. Two pamper nights were held at The Nottinghamshire Golf & Country Club and pupils at The Nottingham Academy also help with fundraising.

2012 News Magazine

The 2012 edition of our Believe magazine is packed with stories of events organised by our wonderful supporters and fundraising groups, news about our Wear A Hat Day Campaign, latest research publications and lobbying achievements as well as updates from our member charities.

Please ask Sarah sarah@braintumourresearch.org if you would like a copy. We can also send you a box of magazines to give to your family, friends, work colleagues, and to place copies in local businesses, GP’s, pubs, clubs, hotels, libraries, hairdressers and anywhere there is a waiting room. 

Together we can make a difference by raising awareness of this devastating disease and give hope to the thousands of people diagnosed with a brain tumour each year and their families.

If you are not yet on our mailing list and would like a copy of our news magazine, again please email sarah@braintumourresearch.org

Thanks.

We need you to sign the brain tumour e-petition

In March 2012, Brain Tumour Research's late patron Bill Tarmey, alias Coronation Street’s Jack Duckworth, launched an e-petition on behalf of the brain tumour consortium.  Bill’s son Carl was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2009, at the age of 42 and the family now work tirelessly to raise awareness of brain tumours.

This petition replaces the one Rachel Clark initiated. Rachel's gained over 11,000 signatories but the life of an e-petition is only a year and Rachel's petition has now lapsed.

Brain tumours kill more people under the age of 40 than any other cancer, including more children and life expectancy for people with brain tumours has not increased for 40 years. They are responsible for an average loss of life of over 20 years and up to 40% of all cancers which initiate outside the brain lead to a secondary cancer in the brain, though many secondary brain tumours are not recorded.

This petition therefore calls on the Government to take action to:

• Improve brain tumour diagnosis.
• Enforce best practice in brain tumour care.
• Increase the proportion of cancer research spending on brain tumours.

To make a real difference we need over 100,000 people to sign the e-petition so please sign Bill’s e-petition here http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35167 and spread the word. Together, we will find a cure.

Brain Tumour Awareness Lobby – a great success

Patients, carers, supporters, charities and scientists from across the UK converged on Westminster to lobby MPs.

18 MPs signed a pledge that they would help raise the issues with government and others committed to write to Ministers on our behalf.  

Photos of the day can be viewed here. Please feel free to use them with credit to Brain Tumour Research.

HeadSmart Campaign

The HeadSmart campaign is run by a partnership between Brain Tumour Research member charity; the Children's Brain Tumour Research Centre (CBTRC) at the University of Nottingham, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust (SDBTT), and has been funded by The Health Foundation and SDBTT.
 

Research has shown that there is considerable variation in the time taken to diagnose childhood brain tumours in the UK. Half of all children and young people diagnosed with a brain tumour take longer than three months to be diagnosed. The aim of the HeadSmart campaign is to reduce the time taken to diagnose brain tumours so that all children and young people with a brain tumour are diagnosed within five weeks of developing symptoms or signs of a brain tumour.
 

The Diagnosis of brain tumours in Children guideline was produced by the CBTRC, with funding from the Big Lottery Fund in conjunction with the SDBTT. In 2008 the guideline was appraised and endorsed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). The guideline advises healthcare professionals on the identification, assessment and investigation of children presenting with symptoms and signs that could be caused by a brain tumour.
 

The symptoms covered by the guideline have also been used to produce age-specific symptom cards in order to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms among parents and young people.
 

Download the symptom cards   

We think this is a fantastic initiative and will be working with SDBTT and other members of the Brain Tumour Consortium on a similar initiative to speed up diagnosis for adults.