After losing his friend to a brain tumour, greengrocer Sean Connolly is taking on the Great North Run to raise funds for research into the disease.

Sean, 33, from Rothwell, was inspired to take on the course after he lost his friend, Alan Mills, to a brain tumour in 2016. Alan lived with his wife Karen next door to Sean’s shop, The Northampton Grocers on the High Street.

Sean, will be among thousands of runners taking part in the Great North Run, the world’s biggest half marathon. This year’s event takes place on 10^th September, starting in Newcastle and covering a 13.1-mile route.

A 35-strong team will be taking part and raising money for the pioneering charity Brain Tumour Research which funds a network of Centres of Excellence where scientists are focused on improving treatments for patients and finding a cure. Each day of research costs £2,740.

Sean said: “Alan used to come into the shop with his dog to buy his weekly fruit and veg. We got talking after he asked if I had more pomegranates as his doctor had recommended their health benefits. That’s when he told me about his brain tumour and that he had been advised to eat healthier food. He was such a nice man and it was great that I got to know him and his family. I hope my efforts will help raise awareness of the current underfunding for research into brain tumours.”

Suzanne McKenna, Head of Community Fundraising (North) for Brain Tumour Research, said: “For too long, brain tumours have been a neglected cancer. Stories like Alan’s remind us all that we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue.

“Not many people know that 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.

“The charity is striving to fund a network of seven dedicated research centres whilst challenging the government and larger cancer charities to invest more in brain tumour research. We are extremely grateful to Sean and all our runners for raising such vital funds to help us find a cure for this horrible disease.”

To make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via Sean’s JustGiving page, go to http://www.justgiving.com/SeanConnolly166

For further information, please contact:
Lexie Dabney at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867222 or 07591 206545 or Lexie.Dabney@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 are building a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, £5.5 million was raised towards research and support during 2016.

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 charity is celebrating a year of high-profile campaigning on this issue following the unprecedented success of its petition in 2016. Following that, Brain Tumour Research is now taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research.

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
• 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.