A fitness instructor has upped the tempo at an Islington gym to raise funds and awareness for research into the biggest cancer killer of under 40s.

Gym-goers at The Factory Fitness and Dance Centre in Islington challenged themselves to a ‘STRONG by Zumba’ masterclass led by Paul Webb, all in aid of the Brain Tumour Research charity. More than 30 people took part in the high-intensity class, putting their skills to the test in a workout that combines cardio, bodyweight and plyometric strength exercises.

Paul, a fitness instructor and personal trainer who organised the event, was motivated to fundraise after close friend, Caroline Steel, was diagnosed with a grade 3 anaplastic astrocytoma brain tumour. Caroline, 37, who works for the National Trust in Swindon, underwent surgery and radiotherapy, is currently being treated with chemotherapy.

Paul said: “The STRONG by Zumba masterclass was fantastic and I’m already planning more events. It’s such a fun and easy way to support an important cause, and anyone can join in. It was also a fitting way to honour Caroline as she used to enjoy the classes.

“It shocked me that someone as fit and healthy as Caroline could be diagnosed with a brain tumour. I now know that brain tumours are indiscriminate and they can affect anyone at any age. I was also appalled to learn 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.”

Janice Wright, community fundraising manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re extremely grateful to Paul for fundraising for us and hope his event will inspire others to support the cause. The STRONG by Zumba masterclass just goes to show that you can raise vital money in so many fun ways.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at Research Centres of Excellence in the UK; it also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is calling for an annual spend of £35m in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.

For more inspiration, go to: https://www.braintumourresearch.org/fundraise

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 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
• 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.