Pooches big and small and their owners are being invited to join a walk along the Cornish coast to raise funds for research into brain tumours.

The event, which will raise money for the Brain Tumour Research charity and Brain Tumour Support, is sure to get tails wagging as amblers will stroll four miles from Marazion beach to Penzance.

Taking place on Saturday 6^th October, The Great Western Dog Walk will be supported by Derek Thomas MP, who is hounding up residents in his constituency, St Ives and the Isle of Scilly, to join the oodles of poodles and litters of Labradors on the day.

Derek said: “I’m extremely excited to be supporting The Great Western Dog Walk and can’t wait to meet everyone and their pooches. It promises to be a fantastic event for the whole family and those on the amble will take in some of Cornwall’s finest views, while raising much needed funds for Brain Tumour Research and Brain Tumour Support.”

Throughout 2018, Derek has chaired an enquiry led by the All-Party Brain Tumour Group, investigating the social and economic impact of a brain tumour diagnosis. Brain Tumour Research funds dedicated UK Centres of Excellence, where scientists are focused on improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.

The registration fee for the walk is £6 for adults and this includes a free pasty, a drink at the finish and a goody bag for every dog. The event is kindly supported by Great Western Railway, St Aubin Estates, The Rotary Club of Penwith and Derek Thomas MP.

Michael Thelwall, Head of Community Fundraising at Brain Tumour Research, said: “The Great Western Dog Walk will be an exciting and fun way to get the whole family and their pets together, while raising money for a fantastic cause. We are extremely grateful for Derek’s support and are encouraging everyone and their doggies to come along and take in the spectacular Cornish coast.”

To register for the event or to find out more visit https://bit.ly/2NblE63

For further information, please contact:
Annie Slinn at the Brain Tumour Research charity 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.