A director at a Milton Keynes charity is calling on people to join him for its annual Grand Union Canal walk, which will raise vital funds for research into brain tumours.

Robin Meltzer, Director of Fundraising at Shenley-Wood based Brain Tumour Research, is appealing for people to take part in the 11-mile walk on Saturday 30^th September 2017 along the picturesque canal.

This is the sixth year the event has been held and Robin hopes it will raise over £15,000 for research to find more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for brain tumours. 

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 each year than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. 

Robin said: “This is always a popular event for us, as the whole family can get involved. Many of those taking part know only too well the devastation a brain tumour causes. There is a strong sense of fellowship and sharing an experience, which is a very positive thing.

“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 encourage anyone that would like to take part, to get in touch.”

Starting at the Three Locks pub in Stoke Hammond, walkers have the opportunity to purchase bacon butties to start the day. The group will then walk the 5.5 miles to the Grove Lock pub, where you can picnic or treat yourself to a pub lunch and refreshments.

At the end of the walk people will be able to enjoy a charity menu at the Three Locks pub and a specially created ale, "Hops for Hope", from Leighton Buzzard Brewing Company. A percentage of both the menu and ale sales during the month of September will go to Brain Tumour Research.

The registration fee is £10 for individuals and £20 for families.  All walkers will receive a medal for being part of our fantastic Fighting Force. Registration will take place between 9:15am and 10am on the 30^th September and dogs are welcome on leads.

To register for the event, please email paula@braintumourresearch.org or visit https://www.braintumourresearch.org to find out more.

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
• 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.