An ethical hat brand from north London is supporting the Brain Tumour Research charity and helping to raise funds for vital research into the disease.

KuSan Accessories, based in Friern Barnet, has launched two exclusive special-edition bobble hats for Brain Tumour Research after business founders Kurt and Sandra Fritzsch lost several family members to the disease.

Available from the end of September, the hats are inspired by the charity’s signature pink and yellow colours and its annual Wear A Hat Day campaign. As with all KuSan products, the new hats are designed in London and handmade in Nepal from ethically-sourced New Zealand wool.

Sandra, who lives in the Highgate area, said: “Brain tumours are indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any age, and sadly the disease has been really prevalent in our close family. Over the last 20 years, three of our relatives have died from brain tumours.

“Seeing the devastation that the disease causes was our inspiration and, as we specialise in hats, it made sense to support Brain Tumour Research in this way. The bobble hats are a stylish way to contribute to a really important cause and we hope we can raise a significant amount for the charity.”

KuSan will contribute £4 from every hat sold to Brain Tumour Research which funds vital research at its 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: “The new bobble hats look wonderful in our pink and yellow brand colours, and they’re a fun way to raise awareness of a disease that affects so many people and their families each year.

“We are extremely grateful to Kurt and Sandra for their support and hope people will get behind KuSan and help contribute to vital research.”

The bobble hats are available from good independent retailers across the country and online from www.hatsandcaps.co.uk. For a list of stockists or to buy directly, visit www.kusan.co.uk  

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
• 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.