A bereaved family from Consett is ending the year on a high as they celebrate raising more than £17,000 in support of the Brain Tumour Research charity.

Since the death of Shotley Bridge farmer Adam Forster in 2014, his parents, sister, brother-in-law and three nieces have been supporting research into brain tumours. In 2018 alone, they have taken part in a sponsored walk, organised a Halloween Ball, hosted a Christmas quiz, and held their annual Santa Bike Run through Consett. 

Adam, who farmed at Camperdown, Shotley Bridge, and followed the Braes of Derwent and Tynedale and Haydon hunts, died aged 42 just 11 months after being diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumour. He was 42 years old and left sister Kerry Robson, brother-in-law Carl Robson, nieces Lauren, Gracie and Ellie Robson, and parents Terry and Ann Forster.

Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers.

His sister Kerry, who works as Show Secretary for the Northumberland County Show, said: “I’m thrilled with how much we have raised; it’s been a real family effort and I’m sure Adam would be proud. Thank you to everyone in the community who has supported us and come along to our events. I hope we have helped to raise awareness in Durham about how devastating this disease is.

“Adam was a very private man in his illness but he would be proud to think that by talking about what happened to him, we are making a difference for other people.”

Matthew Price, community fundraising manager for Brain Tumour Research in the North East, said: “Adam’s family are an inspiration to us all. They have experienced such heartbreak but they are determined to do something positive in Adam’s memory. We’re extremely grateful for their ongoing support and congratulate them for such a momentous year of fundraising.

“Brain tumours are indiscriminate, they can affect anyone at any age, and yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease and we are proud to be working to change this.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated Centres of Excellence in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is calling for an annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.

If you’ve been inspired by the Robsons, go to https://www.braintumourresearch.org/donation

For further information, please contact:

Farel James at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867221 or 07592 502708 or Farel.James@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) which published its report Brain Tumours A cost too much to bear? in 2018. Led by the charity, the report examines the economic and social impacts of a brain tumour diagnosis. We are also a key player 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
• Historically, 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.