A charity worker who lost his childhood friend to a secondary brain tumour is calling out for dare-devils to abseil down the iconic Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on Saturday 9^th September, in aid Brain Tumour Research.

Community Fundraising Manager, Tim Green is appealing for people to take part in the abseil to help raise over £1,000 for funding vital research in to brain tumours.

Standing at an impressive 94m tall, the Spinnaker Tower is the highest building in Portsmouth, and offers breath-taking views of the harbour and city centre. Many of those already taking part in the challenge have been effected by brain tumours in some way, with many participating in memory of a family member or friend taken by the disease.  

Tim said: “I lost my best friend at the age of 16 to a secondary brain tumour, so know too well the devastation that this disease can cause. We would encourage anyone that’s had their lives touched by this disease or would like to support the charity to get in touch and get involved.”

Brain tumours 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.

“The money raised from the abseil will help to fund the work at our four Centres of Excellence, including our flagship centre at the University of Portsmouth”, explained Tim. “This is where world-leading research into the causes of brain tumours and improving treatments is taking place.”

Closing date for applications to take part in the event is Wednesday 31^st August 2017. All participants need to be 18 years and over.

If you would like to take part in the abseil, please contact tim@braintumourresearch.org or visit 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.