A father who lost his son to a brain tumour is helping to fund scientific research into finding a cure for the disease.

John Stanton, 70, from Berkeley in Gloucestershire, who was president of The Rotary Club of Cotswold Tyndale club for 2016/17, chose the charity Brain Tumour Research as the club’s Charity of the Year, after losing his son Alan to an aggressive brain tumour in 2015. Alan was just 30 years old when he died and left behind his wife Lucy and five-month-old son Joshua.

Through hosting a number of fundraising events, which included a Valentine’s Day dance, frog racing and a charity golf match the group raised over £6,000 to go towards research into the disease.

John was joined by his wife, Jean, and Alan’s twin brother Charles to place two tiles on the Wall of Hope at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London. The centre, one of four receiving funding from the chairity, is focused on research to improve treatments for patients with brain tumours and, ultimately, finding a cure. Each tile laid on the wall represents the £2,740 it costs to fund a day of research.

Led by Prof Silvia Marino, in collaboration with University College London, the team at the centre are studying glioblastoma tumours – one of the most aggressive and deadly types of brain cancer and the tumour that Alan died from.

John said: “Alan was a wonderful son, father and friend. Seeing his name on the Wall of Hope was a special moment for us as a family. Being at the research centre and seeing what they are doing here, really draws attention to the cost of research and work that needs to be conducted to find a cure for brain tumours.”

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 just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

According to Brain Tumour Research, less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years, compared with an average of 50% across all cancers. Brain tumours also kill more men under 45 than prostate cancer.

Carol Robertson, Community Fundraising Manager (South) for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are really grateful to John and the club for raising vital funds to support important research into a disease which affects so many people and their families each year. Stories like Alan’s remind us all that we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue.”

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

For further information, please contact:
Lexie Jenkins at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867222 or 07591 206545 or Lexie.Jenkins@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 have established a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, over £6 million was raised towards research and support during 2017.

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 unprecedented success of our 2015 petition led to the 2016 Westminster Hall debate and Brain Tumour Research taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research with the report being published in January 2018.

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
• Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age
• 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.