Primary school kids from Camden will help fund life-saving research into brain tumours as they don their hats ready for Wear A Hat Day 2019.

On Friday 29 March, Rhyl Primary school will be joining in a nationwide effort to raise awareness and funds for research into brain tumours. Up to 400 pupils at the Belsize Park School will take part in Wear A Hat Day, the UK’s premier brain tumour awareness event in aid of the Brain Tumour Research charity.

From nursery to Year 6, children at Rhyl Primary will be designing hats, taking part in a hat competition and rounding the day off with a hat-tastic hat parade.

Lucy Wild, deputy head teacher, said: “Rhyl Primary School is a hub within the local community and we’re always eager to ensure we’re raising awareness for different causes. We’re going to make Wear A Hat Day as engaging and eventful as possible for the pupils and I know it’s something they’ll be excited to take part in. It’s a great way to raise awareness and funds all whilst having fun.”

Wear a Hat Day is the culmination of Brain Tumour Awareness month in March and the event has raised over a million pounds since Brain Tumour Research was launched 10 years ago.

Janice Wright, community fundraising manager for Brain Tumour Research in London, said: “Thanks to Rhyl Primary School for their support; by joining in Wear A Hat Day, they are helping us to raise awareness of the fact that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. Despite this fact, historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease, and we’re proud to be changing this.

“Anyone and everyone can get involved in Wear A Hat Day: whether it’s wearing your favourite hat to work or organising a bake sale with your neighbours, every person that joins in can help bring us closer to a cure.”

Funds raised on Wear A Hat Day will develop the charity’s network of world-class brain tumour research centres in the UK where scientists are focused in improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.

To get involved, or donate, please visit: www.wearahatday.org

Or text HAT to 70660 to donate £5*

#HATTASTIC

* Texts cost £5 plus network charge. Brain Tumour Research receives 100% of your donation. Obtain the bill payer’s permission. Call 01908 867200 with any queries.

For further information, please contact:

Farel James at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867221 or 07592 5020708 or Farel.James@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 ground-breaking research 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 represented on the Steering Group 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.