A Croydon resident will take on a 50km challenge to help scientists searching for a cure for brain tumours, after losing a family member to the disease.

Ian Young, 58, will walk the 50km Thames Path Challenge to raise money for the Brain Tumour Research charity. He is motivated by the fact 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.

Ian’s family was devastated by the disease when his sister’s husband, Nigel Legg, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme – a highly aggressive type of brain tumour – in April 2012. Nigel, a software engineer, had been suffering from balance issues and severe neck pain. Tragically, he died just six weeks later, aged 49, the day before he was due to start chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Also joining Ian on the walk will be Nigel’s wife and son, Juliet and Jamie Legg, who live near Reading. They will be among 3,000 challengers taking part in the Thames Path Challenge, which follows one of the UK’s longest rivers, on 8-9th September. The event begins at Putney Bridge before heading upstream along the river Thames, passing spectacular scenery such as Hampton Court along the route.

Ian, who lives in Croydon, said: “I enjoy walking so the 50km Thames Path Challenge seemed like the ideal fundraising event and a great way to remember Nigel. I’m feeling excited about the trek and it will be wonderful to share the day with Juliet and Jamie. Training has been going well and I recently completed a practice walk of 22 miles, but I’m sure I’ll have a few blisters as I cross the finish line.”

The money raised from Ian, Juliet and Jamie’s walk will go towards Brain Tumour Research, which funds dedicated UK Centres of Excellence where scientists are focused on improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.

Janice Wright, Community Fundraising Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are extremely grateful for Ian’s support and wish him, Juliet and Jamie all the best for the event. Nigel’s story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate and we hope he inspires others to fundraise for this woefully underfunded cancer. 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 Ian, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ian-young36

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.