Businesses, schools, and families across the area donned their favourite hat last week in support of Brain Tumour Research’s annual Wear A Hat Day on Thursday 29th March 2018, to help fund vital research into the disease. 

In Newport Pagnell, local resident Julie Carter teamed up with the charity’s corporate partner Specsavers to hold a raffle, bucket collection and cake sale to drive awareness and raise funds for research into a disease that has affected her life.

Julie was diagnosed in 2005 with a low-grade brain tumour at the age of 23, over the last 13 years she has undergone numerous operations and treatments to beat the disease, however due to its location options are limited.

Speaking about the event Julie, said: “Thousands of people are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year. Unlike mine, many can be cancerous and life limiting, meaning that treatment options are limited to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Helping fund more research into this disease is really important to me and I would like to thank everyone who donated as it will make a big difference.”

In central Milton Keynes, staff at New Era Caps, a distributor of iconic baseball caps and beanies, got involved in Wear A Hat Day by wearing their favourite hat and competed in a baking competition at head office. Elsewhere, pupils from Thornton College held hat themed events to raise funds for research. 

The annual Wear A Hat Day event has raised over a million pounds since it was launched by Brain Tumour Research nine years ago. The money raised is funding vital research that is taking place at the charity’s four dedicated Centres of Excellence, where scientists are focused on improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.

Sadly, 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.

Carol Robertson, Head of Community Fundraising for Brain Tumour Research, said: “It’s been great to see so many people from across Milton Keynes donning their hats and raising money for Wear a Hat Day 2018. We would like to thank everyone for their support. Every year thousands of people are given the news that they have a brain tumour and often the treatment options are limited. The money raised from these events will go towards pioneering research that is taking place at our dedicated Centres of Excellence."

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:

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 have established a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, over £6 million was raised towards research and support during 2017.

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 unprecedented success of our 2015 petition led to the 2016 Westminster Hall debate and Brain Tumour Research taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research with the report being published in 2018.

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.