A Portsmouth pub has backed a fundraising walk to raise vital funds for research into brain tumours.

The Still and West, based in Old Portsmouth, served up support for the Portsmouth Walk of Hope on Saturday 29^th September. Around 200 supporters took part in the fundraiser, which raised money for the Brain Tumour Research charity, and were treated to an exclusive ‘Mocktail of Hope’.

Setting off from The Still and West, the Fuller’s owned bar, which overlooks the harbour’s entrance, the fundraisers walked the cobbled streets of Old Portsmouth before heading onto Southsea Common. Brain Tumour Research hosts annual Walks of Hope nationwide every September but the Portsmouth walk was the first to be held on the south coast.

Debbie Bowden, events manager at The Still and West said: “We were thrilled to support all the dedicated supporters involved in the walk and it was a great atmosphere on the day. The ‘Mocktails of Hope’ went down a treat and it was very moving to hear the stories of those involved, many of whom had been affected by a brain tumour. It was a really special event.”

Tim Green, Senior Community Fundraising Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are very grateful to The Still and West for supporting the Walk of Hope. 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 historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.”

Brain Tumour Research funds a network of Centres of Excellence, including its centre at the University of Portsmouth, where scientists are focused on improving treatment options and, ultimately, finding a cure for brain tumours.

To donate to Brain Tumour Research go to https://www.braintumourresearch.org/donation

For further information, please contact:
Annie Slinn at the Brain Tumour Research charity on 01908 867239 or 07591 206545 or annie.slinn@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.