Ten-year-old pals have each set themselves a gruelling 100-mile summer challenge to raise vital funds for two worthy causes close to their hearts - research into brain tumours and treatment for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

School girls from Wye, Kent, Maddie Delaney and Violet Hopkinson are taking on the mammoth challenge over the summer holidays, in memory of Maddie’s auntie who she never got to meet as she died from a brain tumour when she was 13 years old. They will also be fundraising for the MS Centre which helps Violet’s grandmother Nora.

Through activities including cycling, swimming and walking, the girls are looking to raise over £500 pounds.  Pioneering charity Brain Tumour Research is dedicated to funding research into the devastating disease.

Maddie’s mum Sidonie Delaney said: “Esca was the same age as the girls when she was first diagnosed with a brain tumour and after surgery and lots of radiotherapy and chemotherapy the tumour returned and she died when she was just 13 years old. She was also an amazing fundraiser, even when she was incredibly poorly. She was an inspiration to so many people when we were younger and showed great strength in fighting such a horrible disease.  I’m so proud of Maddie and Violet for taking on such a wonderful challenge in memory of my sister.”

Tim Green, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research said: “We are extremely grateful to both the girls for their support and taking on such a challenge. Brain tumours 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.

“The money raised by the girls will help to fund amazing work at our four Centres of Excellence, where world-leading research into the causes of brain tumours and improving treatments is taking place. We wish Maddie and Violet all the best with their amazing challenge”.

The final amount raised will be split equally between Brain Tumour Research and the MS Therapy Centre in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. Violet’s grandmother Nora suffers from MS, which limits her movement and causes pain. She attends her MS Therapy Centre weekly to manage her pain and mobility, it has made a massive impact on her quality of life. The girls are keen to do something to help the centre that helps Violet’s granny, to raise funds and create awareness so that other MS sufferers can benefit. There are a number of centres around the UK, including in Canterbury.

The girls want to help each other to support their chosen charities, and have embarked on their 100-mile challenge.

To make a donation via Maddie and Violet’s Virgin MoneyGiving page go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/100milesummer

Brain Tumour Research is campaigning to see the national spend on brain tumour research increased to £30 - £35 million a year, in line with breast and leukaemia, in order to advance treatments, and ultimately find a cure.

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