A Milton Keynes-based charity has launched The Big Little Walk challenge to help raise funds for vital research into brain tumours.

Colleagues from pioneering charity Brain Tumour Research stepped into action on Tuesday 1^st May 2018 and took on the 5km walking challenge, through Shenley Wood, to kick off the event which will see people invited to take part throughout May.

The charity is calling on families, friends and co-workers across the region to sign up and do their own 5km walk and get sponsorship - so their small steps will add up to a big difference in helping improve outcomes for patients with brain tumours.

Over 16,000 people a year a diagnosed with a brain tumour in the UK and the money raised will help support research into brain tumours at the charities network of dedicated Centres of Excellence, where scientists are focused on developing new treatments and, ultimately, finding a cure. The Big Little Walk challenge is hoping to raise enough funds to pay for a week of research, which equates to £19,180.

Michael Thelwall, Head of Community Fundraising at Brain Tumour Research (South) said: “Whether you head to your local park, take on a lunch-time stroll with your workmates or opt to walk your kids to school for a week, any support is great in helping us raise awareness of a disease that affects thousands of people and their families.

“All funds raised on the day will go towards research into the causes of brain tumours and improving treatments and ultimately finding a cure for this horrible disease. We would like to encourage anyone that would like to take part, to sign up now.”

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.

To take part in the Big Little Walk go to https://everydayhero.co.uk/event/biglittlewalkofhope

#BigLittleWalkofHope

For further information, please contact:
Lexie Jenkins at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867222 or 07591 206545 or Lexie.Jenkins@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 have established a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, over £6 million was raised towards research and support during 2017.

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 unprecedented success of our 2015 petition led to the 2016 Westminster Hall debate and Brain Tumour Research taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research with the report being published in 2018.

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 in the UK 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.