A brain tumour patient who raised thousands for charity through a mountain climb challenge has met with researchers working to find a cure for the disease.

After fundraising more than £8,400 for the Brain Tumour Research charity, Jenny Lambert travelled from her home in Fimber, near Driffield, to the charity’s Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). The 61-year-old, who was diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of the disease in November 2016, met with scientists to see how the money she raised is making a difference. Accompanied by her husband Ray, Jenny also placed two tiles on the Wall of Hope where each tile represents the £2,740 it costs to fund a day of research.

Touring the laboratory on Wednesday 7^th November, she said: “It’s a privilege to see the extraordinary work taking place at QMUL and it’s so gratifying to know that I’ve contributed to it.”

Led by Prof Silvia Marino, the team at QMUL is studying glioblastoma tumours – one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer and the type that Jenny was diagnosed with following a series of vision problems. Jenny, a land drainage consultant and business owner, was forced to postpone her dream of climbing Blencathra in the Lake District as she underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, in July 2018, just 18 months on from her diagnosis, Jenny reached the top of Blencathra, raising thousands for Brain Tumour Research in the process. Her sons, Luke and Ben Lambert, also added to her fundraising total in September by completing the Great North Run.

Jenny added: “I’ve had a very full and enjoyable two years despite my diagnosis and I hope by sharing my story that I’ll inspire others in a similar situation to live each day as it comes and make the most of the time they have.

“Conquering Blencathra was an achievement within itself but knowing that I’ve helped to support research into brain tumours makes me even more proud. One of my tiles on the Wall of Hope is engraved with my favourite quote: ‘Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain’.”

Matthew Price, community fundraising manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Jenny is a remarkable person and we are extremely grateful for her support and that of her family. The research taking place at QMUL is crucial to improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.

“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 desperate situation to continue.”

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 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.