A winter wonderland ball is taking place in Crewkerne to raise money for research into brain tumours.

Set in the scenic village of Haselbury Plucknett, the snowy ball will give glamorous guests the opportunity to dress up, dine and dance into the night.

After breaking the ice with a complementary glass of prosecco, those attending will be treated to a scrumptious three-course meal, a raffle and a live band. Indienational, a four-piece rock band, will perform everything from Oasis to Ed Sheeran, tailoring for all generations.

Claire Messer, from Crewkerne, organised the formal fundraiser with her family after being diagnosed with a brain tumour three years ago. She is hoping to raise more than £1,500 for the Brain Tumour Research charity.

Claire said: “I can’t wait to dress up in my beautiful sequined dress and I’m eager to see everyone dancing and dining in their favourite suits and gowns. It was my daughter Celine’s idea to fundraise for the charity and it’s been a real family effort ever since. I’ve been raising money with my husband Rod and our daughters Chloe and Celine for the past couple of years and we’ve never looked back.”

Having been diagnosed with a low-grade meningioma – the most common form of adult primary brain tumour – in August 2015, Claire, 58, has had radiotherapy at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and still requires regular scans. Alongside her family, she has hosted a charity football tournament and a masquerade evening for friends, relatives and members of the local community, raising more than £4,000 for Brain Tumour Research.

Claire added: “When I was diagnosed, I was in utter disbelief. I shed tears out of anger and thought ‘I’m too young for this, I’ve still got so much to do’. My diagnosis was a short, sharp shock that made me think about my own mortality. It was the moment I realised I wasn’t indestructible. I’m so grateful to have had such excellent treatment and because of this I’m determined to help others in a similar situation and I want to continue to fundraise for years to come.”

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.

Amy White, community fundraising manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are very grateful for the support of Claire and her family and wish them all the best at their winter wonderland ball, which is set to be a fantastic evening. We hope they inspire other relatives to rally round and raise money for this vital cause. Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers. We cannot allow this situation to continue.”

The winter wonderland ball will take place at Haselbury Mill on Saturday 17th November at 7pm. Tickets cost £35.

To purchase tickets or for further information, please contact Claire 01460 72603 or claire.messer67@gmail.com

To donate to the Brain Tumour Research charity 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, 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.