The APPG on brain tumours will be held via Zoom on Tuesday 14^th July from 10:30 – 11:30. We will be contacting all MPs with a formal invite, an agenda and a briefing document however if you would like advice on contacting your own  MP about this and you aren’t already receiving our campaigning updates via email then contact hugh@braintumourresearch.org

If you need to look up your MPs email address this website will be helpful.

Amazing news from Scotland as a DIPG e-petition gets over the line – tenacity and determination are key attributes of a campaigner and Fiona Govan has both qualities in huge amounts - read more here. We look forward to working with, and supporting, the family with the fantastic opportunity to make a difference they have made in memory of Logan.

Other news from Scotland is that the Scottish Government would like to hear from you if you've been shielding, they are running an online survey so you can let them know:

• how you feel about the latest changes to shielding in Scotland
• whether you’re getting the support you need
  

The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and is open until 8 July.

Complete the survey now.

A coalition of major charities and umbrella bodies has urged the Government to temporarily increase the rate of Gift Aid not-for-profit organisations can claim in a bid to provide a £450 million boost to the sector’s finances.

Our Director of Fundraising Robin Meltzer said “It is at times like this that the third sector and the Government need to think differently and explore ways to protect vital charitable income. A temporary increase in the rate of Gift Aid makes sense because it uses a system which already exists and which has the confidence of the public. I hope this idea is expedited to help all charities during the current downturn.” Read more here.

The result of huge amounts of work by our friends at the International Brain Tumour Alliance ( IBTA) Brain Tumour Research has joined  more than 70 organisations around the world in endorsing a new Brain Tumour Patients’ Charter of Rights. Find out more about this including how to read and download the Charter here.

On Tuesday the Prime Minister delivered a speech setting out the Government’s post-COVID agenda, titled ‘building back Britain’. During the speech he stressed the need for Britain to focus on science and innovation, arguing for the UK to be the global science superpower saying that the UK is already leading in sectors such as Life Sciences and that further work in this sector should be accelerated.

The next day the Government issued a press release entitled “Government fires up R&D (Research and Development) across the country to cement the UK as science superpower - R&D Roadmap sets out vision to attract global talent, cut unnecessary bureaucracy and cement the UK as a world-leading science superpower.”  You can read the full release here. but among the fine words are commitments to;

• increasing investment in ground-breaking research
• setting ambitious new goals for research to keep the UK ahead in cutting-edge discoveries
• attracting, retaining and developing top talent to ensure the UK is the best place for researchers to work
  

£300 million will also be brought forwards to upgrade scientific infrastructure across the UK through the government’s World Class Labs funding scheme. This funding will enable research institutes and universities to make sure UK researchers have access to better lab equipment, digital resources, and to improve and maintain current research facilities

According to one of the lead researchers “It’s a start” – and yes, it is just that and we will hold the Government to account over this. The status of scientific research is a barometer of a county’s economic well being and damage to it damages us all. That is at the core of our call for Governmental support for our research during this difficult period – we have taken the burden before we will take it again but the Government must support the research, they are so proud of and they must do it now!

I was on a call organised by the NHS yesterday from a Cancer Charity Coalition and a senior Westminster figure used the phrase “Cancer has become political." Charities are more trusted than politicians and we must work together for the greater good – patients are going to be demanding easier access to their chemotherapy and opportunities for mobile diagnostic and of course research funding. Research gives hope – it is a front line service for cancer patients and that is why we campaign – join us as cancer becomes political – together we can make a difference.

Related reading:

• Campaign With Us
• New Minister for Life Sciences & Research