A woman bereaved by a brain tumour will take on the Great South Run to help scientists searching for a cure for the disease.

Katie Hovenden, 56, from Clanfield, Hampshire, will be running to raise money for the Brain Tumour Research charity. She was inspired to take on the challenge after losing her close friend, Judith Slinn, from Manchester, two years ago.

Judith, a pharmacist and primary school teacher, was diagnosed with a brain tumour after experiencing problems with her speech. She had radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery but sadly the tumour became aggressive and she passed away in May 2016, five years after her diagnosis, aged 54. She left her husband Matthew, who she lived with in Northamptonshire, and two children Beth, 25 and Annie, 22.

Having studied at the University of Manchester, Katie and Judith remained close friends throughout their lives. Motivated by her loss, Katie will take part in the 10-mile running challenge which starts and finishes in Clarence Esplanade in Southsea, on Sunday 21^st October.

Katie, a pharmacist, said: “It was devastating to lose Judith and such a shock to us all. She was extremely kind, a great mum to Beth and Annie and, having been close friends for over 30 years, I’ve shared some great memories with her.

“I’ve done a number of fundraisers in the past but I’ve never run this far before. I have type 1 diabetes and this will add to the challenge, but I’m motivated by the determination Judith showed throughout her illness. I hope to inspire others to raise money for this woefully underfunded cancer.”

Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, they 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.

Katie is raising money for the Brain Tumour Research charity which funds dedicated UK Centres of Excellence where scientists are focused on improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.

Tim Green, Senior Community Fundraising Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are extremely grateful for Katie’s support and congratulate her in completing the event. Judith’s story reminds us that less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers. We cannot allow this situation to continue.”

To sponsor Katie, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Katie-Hovenden1

For further information, please contact:
Annie Slinn at the Brain Tumour Research charity on 01908 867239 or 07591 206545 or annie.slinn@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.