A young fundraiser, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was just 11 years old, has been honoured at a research centre where scientists are focused on finding a cure for the disease.

Sports-mad Sam Cherry, 24, from Syston in Leicestershire, has used his love of football to raise thousands of pounds for the charity Brain Tumour Research which funds vital research. With the support of his girlfriend Sarah, they have raised over £3,000 for the charity over the last three years through fundraising events including a charity football tournament and a quiz night.

To mark Sam’s achievement a tile was placed on the Wall of Hope at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London, where scientists are focused on improving treatments for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure. Each tile represents the £2,740 it costs to fund a day of research.

Sam said: “I’m really proud of what I have achieved. I have always loved football, so being able to play and raise money at the same time was great. I hope my efforts can make a difference and that more treatments leading to a cure can be found.”

Sam experienced months of crippling migraines before he was diagnosed with a brain tumour while he was studying for his SATs. After undergoing delicate surgery to remove the tumour and had to spent over three months in hospital. Now Sam lives his life like anyone his age and is thankful that the tumour hasn’t stopped him from enjoying his love of playing football.

Carol Robertson, Community Fundraising Manager (South) for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Sam’s determination and commitment to raise these funds has been fantastic and we thank him, Sarah and his family for their support in driving awareness of this devastating disease.

“Sadly, brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone, at any age, at any time. For too long, brain tumours have been a neglected cancer. Stories like Sam’s remind us all that we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue.”

Brain Tumour Research is campaigning to increase the national spend on research into cancer from £30million per year – just one per cent of the national budget for cancer research – to £35million.

To make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via Sam’s JustGiving Page go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-cherry-2017

For further information, please contact:
Lexie Dabney at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867222 or 07591 206545 or Lexie.Dabney@braintumourresearch.org

Notes to Editors

Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK focused on funding sustainable research to find a cure for brain tumours. We are building a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, £5.5 million was raised towards research and support during 2016.

We are campaigning to see the national spend on research into brain tumours increased to £30 - £35 million a year, in line with breast cancer and leukaemia. The charity is celebrating a year of high-profile campaigning on this issue following the unprecedented success of its petition in 2016. Following that, Brain Tumour Research is now taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research.

Key statistics on brain tumours:

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

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