Members of a performing arts society hosted a series of successful fundraisers to fund vital research to help find a cure for brain tumours.

With a talented team of more than 40 cast and 20 backstage members, Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth’s Performing Arts Society (PARTS) performed at three exciting events, raising hundreds of pounds for the Brain Tumour Research charity. 

On Friday 7 December, members of the award-winning society co-produced and acted in an original play ‘A Murder At…’, at the Allsebrook Theatre, on the university’s Talbot Campus. PARTS also held a Winter Showcase on campus, and a Karaoke Night at The Old Fire Station, on Friday 23 and Friday 30 of November.

In total, the events have raised more than £400 for Brain Tumour Research, which was selected as PARTS’ charity of the year.

Members of the society have a personal reason for fundraising as Annabel Smith, the production designer at PARTS, lost her dad to a brain tumour two years ago. Mark Smith, from Holmfirth died just 22 months after his diagnosis with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) – a highly aggressive type of tumour – aged 57.

Annabel, 21, from Holmfirth, who studies at Arts University Bournemouth said: “Losing my dad to a brain tumour was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through and having to watch someone I love deteriorate in front of me was heart-breaking. Going to university and being on the production team for PARTS has been a fantastic experience for me, and, as I know that other society members have been affected by this horrible illness, I selected Brain Tumour Research as our charity of the year.

“I’m very grateful for the committee and production team’s support. The events were all great fun and I’m very much looking forward to taking part in more fundraisers next year.”

President of PARTS Izzy Penhallow, who is 21 and from Bicester, added: “Annabel has been through so much and it was a pleasure to raise money in memory of her dad. I’m sure he would be very proud of her, and the society, for helping to fund research into brain tumours.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is calling for an annual spend of £35m in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.

Amy White, community fundraising manager at Brain Tumour Research in the South West, said: “We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support of PARTS and it has been inspiring to hear of their unique and fun ways of raising money for this vital cause, while also supporting Annabel. Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease, and we are proud to be changing this.”

To donate to Brain Tumour Research go to https://www.braintumourresearch.org/donation 

To find out more about PARTS go to https://www.subu.org.uk/organisation/parts/ 


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For further information, please contact:
Annie Slinn at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867221 or 07592 502708 or annie.slinn@braintumourresearch.org. 

Notes to Editors 
Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK dedicated to raising funds for continuous and sustainable scientific research into brain tumours, and we are a leading voice calling for greater support and action for research into what scientists are calling the last battleground against cancer.

We are building a network of experts in sustainable research at dedicated Centres of Excellence whilst influencing the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more nationally.

We welcome recent funding announcements for research into brain tumours from the UK Government and Cancer Research UK – £65 million pledged over the next five years. However, this potential funding of £13 million a year comes with a catch – money will only be granted to quality research proposals and, due to the historic lack of investment, there may not be enough of these applications that qualify for grants from this pot.

We want research funding parity with breast cancer and leukaemia. We are calling for a £30-35 million investment every year for research into brain tumours in order to fund the basic research groundwork needed to accelerate the translation from laboratory discoveries into clinical trials and fast-track new therapies for this devastating disease.

The Brain Tumour Research charity is a powerful campaigning organisation and represents the voice of the brain tumour community across the UK. We helped establish and provide the ongoing Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Brain Tumours (APPGBT) which published its report Brain Tumours A cost too much to bear? in 2018. Led by the charity, the report examines the economic and social impacts of a brain tumour diagnosis. We are also a key player in the development strategy for the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission.

Key statistics on brain tumours: 

• Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age 
• Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer
• Historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours
• In the UK, 16,000 people each year are diagnosed with a brain tumour
• Brain tumours kill more children than leukaemia
• Brain tumours kill more men under 45 than prostate cancer
• Brain tumours kill more women under 35 than breast cancer
• Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers

Please quote Brain Tumour Research as the source when using this information. Additional facts and statistics are available from our website. We can also provide case studies and research expertise for the media.