Schools, businesses, and individuals across Manchester are signing up to help raise awareness of brain tumours in order to fund life-saving research.

Taking place on Friday 29 March, the annual Wear A Hat Day fundraiser will see people across the region don their hats in support of the Brain Tumour Research charity. It’s the UK’s premier brain tumour awareness event and has raised over a million pounds since it was launched by the charity 10 years ago.

Among those taking part is 45-year-old Paula Horrocks from Little Hulton whose granddaughter Isobella was diagnosed with a brain tumour as a baby. She said: “I’m hosting a family fun night at The Top Club with a raffle and merchandise sale to raise funds. This will be the third time we take part in Wear A Hat Day and it’s always lots of fun and it’s a great opportunity to raise much needed funds too.

“Isobella was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was just 20 months old. Luckily, she has recovered really well since surgery and has been given the all-clear at every MRI scan since. She’s four years old now and is doing well at school and meeting all her childhood milestones. Some children and adults aren’t as lucky so we want to give others a better chance of beating the disease.”

In Stockport, the Crystal Chords female acapella chorus will get hatty for the second year running in memory of loved ones lost to brain tumours. Musical director of the choir, Monica Funnell lost her brother in February 2014 after he battled the disease for 15 months, and choir member Celine Macdonald-Matti lost her husband Fraser in March 2018 at the age of 53.

Crystal Chords member Alison Liddell said: “Several members of the chorus have been affected by the disease and we want to do something to prevent others suffering from brain tumours in the future. Wear A Hat Day is the perfect opportunity to make a difference, and we have a lot of fun whilst doing it too. This year we’ll be wearing musical-themed hats and having a bake sale to raise funds and, as we recently won silver at a national barbershop competition, we are hoping for a silver theme to celebrate our success!”

Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, the disease kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to a cure.

Andrea Pankiw, community fundraising manager for Brain Tumour Research in the North West, said: “We’re delighted to see residents of Manchester signing up to support the 10^th annual Wear A Hat Day. There are some fantastic events lined up and it’s going to be our biggest, boldest and hattiest year ever.”

“By signing up for Wear A Hat Day, people are helping us to raise awareness of the fact that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. We cannot allow this situation to continue so please join us on Friday 29 March, wear a hat, and help fund the fight against brain tumours.”

Funds raised will develop the charity’s network of world-class brain tumour research centres in the UK where scientists are focused in 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.