A farm shop is inviting everyone in the Buckingham area to put on a hat and come along to their Mad Hatter’s Charity Tea Party to raise funds for scientists working to find a cure for brain tumours.

The team at Boycott Farm Shop in Stowe are joining many people across the country by getting involved in Wear A Hat Day which, this year, takes place on Thursday 29^th March across the UK.

Farm shop owner, Richard Hilsdon is godfather to 26 year old Oli Hilsdon, from Buckingham, who was diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable brain tumour in 2014. Oli had chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy treatment, and his condition improved so that he was able to return to work and even took part in the London Marathon to raise funds for research into brain tumours. However, Oli was recently given the devastating news that his brain tumour had reoccurred. He underwent further surgery last month and is now undergoing chemotherapy whilst trying to raise £230,000 for a cancer vaccine not available through the NHS.

Richard, who runs the farm shop with Oli’s cousins, Liz, Amanda and Phillip said: “Oli is incredibly brave and positive, and has the love and support of so many people – his family, friends, and the local community are all totally committed to raising money for vital research into this dreadful disease, and to fund the pioneering new treatment that Oli is trying. We want to do everything we can to help scientists to find better treatments, and ultimately, a cure for brain tumours.”   

The Mad Hatter’s Charity Tea Party at Boycott Farm Shop is taking place on Thursday 29^th March, Good Friday (30^th) and Easter Saturday (31^st). Proceeds will be split between Brain Tumour Research and the Oli Hilsdon Brain Tumour Treatment fund. For further details: www.boycottfarm.co.uk.

Wear A Hat Day has raised over a million pounds since it was launched by the charity Brain Tumour Research nine 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.

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. Funds raised through Wear A Hat Day 2018 will develop the charity’s network of world-class brain tumour research centres in the UK.

Paul Rastrick, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone, at any age. We are extremely grateful to Richard and everyone at Boycott Farm Shop for getting involved and hope people will show their support and be inspired to hold their own events. It’s as easy as wearing a hat and making a donation!”

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:
Susan Castle-Smith at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867206 or 07887 241639 or Susan@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 have established a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, over £6 million was raised towards research and support during 2017.

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 unprecedented success of our 2015 petition led to the 2016 Westminster Hall debate and Brain Tumour Research taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research with the report being published in January 2018.

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
• Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age
• 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.