A charity which helps to fund research into brain tumours has rounded up riders to tackle a coastal cycle challenge.

The Brain Tumour Research Randonnee took place around the Isle of Wight on 15^th July 2018. Raising money for the Brain Tumour Research charity, many of those who signed up have been affected by the disease. Organiser Simon Tier, a project manager from Fareham, has lost several friends to brain tumours, and is a champion fundraiser for the charity.

Simon, aged 50, said: “I set up the Brain Tumour Research Randonnee last year and this time round we had a fantastic ride in beautiful sunny conditions. My hope is to inspire others to help raise awareness for this awful disease, which has been so poorly funded for too long.”

Riders set off from Fishbourne before heading around the Island, receiving refreshments at Bembridge and Yarmouth, and finishing 68 miles later back at the start.

Also taking on the challenge was Owen Giles, an engineer from Sandown, Isle of Wight. Owen’s dad, Paul Giles, aged 71, was diagnosed with a secondary brain tumour in January 2018 after suffering dizziness and confusion. Paul, who also lives on the Isle of Wight, has undergone brain surgery and is currently having radiotherapy to control the tumour’s growth.

Owen, aged 43, said: “After my dad’s diagnosis and having learned about the underfunding for research into brain tumours, I decided to sign up for the Brain Tumour Research Randonnee. I am proud to have smashed my £500 target and, as a keen cyclist, thoroughly enjoyed riding around the island where I live.”

The Brain Tumour Research charity recruited over 40 riders for the event and raised over £2,500 to help fund vital research into brain tumours.

Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, they kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

Tim Green, Community Fundraising Manager for the Brain Tumour Research charity, said: “For too long, brain tumours have been a neglected cancer and we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue. We are extremely grateful to Simon and all the riders for their support and would like to encourage others to take part in this event in the future.

“The money raised will help us in our mission to build a network of experts in sustainable research. We are funding dedicated UK Centres of Excellence – including one at the University of Portsmouth – where scientists are focused on improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.”

To make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via the team’s JustGiving pages, go to:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/simon-tier  
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/owengiles

For further information, please contact:
Annie Slinn at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867239 or 07591 206545 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). We are supporting the crucial APPGBT 2018 Inquiry into the economic and social impacts of brain tumours and will publish their report in the autumn. We are also a key influencer 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
• 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.