London-based milliner, Noel Stewart, has partnered with pioneering charity Brain Tumour Research to help produce an exclusive new brooch to support the charity’s Wear A Hat Day event.

Just 500 of his limited-edition enamel brooches have been produced in the run up to the charity’s annual Wear A Hat Day event taking place on Thursday 29^th March 2018.

This year’s event looks to be bigger than ever before, as thousands of people in schools, universities and workplaces across the country will don beanies, top hats, trilbies, fascinators and fedoras, to raise awareness and fundraise for vital research into brain tumours.

Noel’s designs are inspired by his love of contemporary art and architecture, which often translates into collections in the form of combining luxury materials and traditional craftsmanship with contemporary innovation. In addition to designing hats for catwalk shows across Europe, Noel has acquired a loyal celebrity fan-base. His hats have been worn by Keira Knightly, Lady Gaga, Florence Welch, Kylie Minogue and Beth Ditto.

Speaking about the partnership Noel said: “Having followed the event for many years and learning more about this devastating disease, it is vital that more research is needed to help us find a cure. I’m so pleased to be joining the illustrious company of milliners that have supported this campaign in the past. Not only do I hope that the brooch brings pleasure to the wearer, but also raises awareness of a disease that affects so many people and their families each year.”

In previous years the Brain Tumour Research has worked with respected milliners across the country to design a brooch for the annual event, including: Piers Atkinson, Philip Treacy OBE, Rachel Trevor-Morgan, Vivien Sheriff, Stephen Jones OBE and the oldest hat shop in the world, Lock & Co of London.

In the UK over 16,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year. Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, they 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.

To buy your exclusive Noel Stewart brooch, or find out more about how to get involved with Wear A Hat Day, go to www.wearahatday.org.

For further information, please contact:
Lexie Jenkins at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867222 or 07591 206545 or Lexie.Jenkins@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
• 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.