A golf club is opening its doors to help fund the fight against the biggest cancer killer of the under 40s.

Darlington Golf Club is supporting the annual fundraiser Wear A Hat Day as part of a year of fundraising for the Brain Tumour Research charity. The national event takes places on Friday 29 March and will see people up and down the country don their hats in the name of a brain tumour cure.

In County Durham, golfers can join in the nationwide effort by going along to Darlington Golf Club’s open competition. Jill Richardson, lady captain at the club, said: “We’re delighted to be taking part in Wear A Hat Day this year and hope to raise a significant amount for Brain Tumour Research. Our doors are open on Friday 29 March and we have tee times available between 10am and 2.30pm.

“I lost my husband Paul to a brain tumour in 2005, just five weeks after he was diagnosed. My family found out the hard way that less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years, and now I want to help change this.”

Police officer Paul Richardson was looking forward to retirement when he began to feel tired and confused. The 45-year-old was believed to have chronic fatigue but scans at Darlington Memorial Hospital revealed an inoperable brain tumour. Paul died before he could begin treatment, leaving Jill, their children Helen and Mark, and granddaughter Megan.

Matthew Price, community fundraising manager for Brain Tumour Research in the North East, said: “Stories like Paul’s remind us that brain tumours kill more men under 45 than prostate cancer, yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease, and we’re proud to be changing this.

“There are some brilliant Wear A Hat Day events lined up across the North East and it’s going to be our biggest, boldest, and hattiest year ever! You can get involved at work, school, or even at home with friends and family and help make a difference. Together we will find a cure.”

Wear A Hat Day has raised over a million pounds since it was launched by Brain Tumour Research 10 years ago and is the culmination of Brain Tumour Awareness Month in March. The big day will see schools, workplaces, families and individuals across the UK fundraising and taking part in fun events to raise awareness of brain tumours and help fund life-saving research.

Funds raised will develop the charity’s network of world-class brain tumour research centres in the UK where scientists are focused on improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.

To get involved, or donate, please visit: www.wearahatday.org

Or text HAT to 70660 to donate £5*

#HATTASTIC

* Texts cost £5 plus network charge. Brain Tumour Research receives 100% of your donation. Obtain the bill payer’s permission. Call 01908 867200 with any queries.

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 ground-breaking research 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.