A woman from Aberdeen, whose dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour, has completed Prudential RideLondon to raise money towards research into the disease.

Aimee Clark, 33, was inspired to take part in the cycling event after her dad, Ronald Clark, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October 2017 whilst on holiday in Australia.

Ronald, from Elgin, had been enjoying retirement after 20 years as a civil servant for the RAF in Lossiemouth when an MRI scan revealed he had a low-grade acoustic neuroma. The 65-year-old underwent surgery and 90% of the tumour was successfully removed, however Ronald has lost his hearing in one ear and will have to go for regular scans.

Inspired by the ordeal, Aimee, a physiotherapist, has raised £2,000 through her challenge for the Brain Tumour Research charity. She said: “I’m delighted to have completed RideLondon and raised so much money in my dad’s name. It was a fantastic event and I’m so pleased to say I’ve done it!
 
“What my dad went through was terrifying for all of us but thankfully he has come out the other side. Sadly, not many people are as fortunate as my dad. 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.”

Aimee was among 24 cyclists supporting the charity by taking part in Prudential RideLondon, described as “the world’s greatest festival of cycling.” Some 25,000 took to the roads for the 100-mile sportive which set off from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London on Sunday 29th July before heading through the capital and out into the Surrey countryside and finishing on The Mall.

The money raised goes towards the Brain Tumour Research charity which is dedicated to raising funds for continuous and sustainable scientific research into brain tumours.

Joe Woollcott, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are extremely grateful to Aimee for her support and congratulate her on completing the challenge. For too long, brain tumours have been a neglected cancer and we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue.” 

To make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via Aimee’s JustGiving page, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/aimee-clark13 


For further information, please contact:
Farel Williams at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867221 or 07592 502708 or Farel.Williams@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.