Employees at insurance firm Zurich are putting on hats of all shapes and sizes to raise funds for scientists working to find a cure for brain tumours.  

Teams from Zurich’s Whiteley office in Fareham are joining colleagues based at the insurers’ eight regional offices and many people across the country, by getting involved in Wear A Hat Day which, this year, takes place on Thursday 29^th March.

The fundraising drive is being led by Wendy Fearnley, Executive Secretary with the Claims Business Initiatives Team (CBIT) at Whiteley in Fareham, after a good friend and colleague was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year.   

Wendy said: “We were so shocked when our colleague, who is also a dear friend, was diagnosed with a brain tumour on her return from holiday last year. She had been experiencing severe headaches but initially thought she had a bout of flu. She was admitted to hospital within days. She’s always been a very fit and healthy lady with more get up and go than most! Over the years we’ve run together in our lunch breaks and become firm friends, so we want to do all we can to support her and the thousands of other families who are affected by brain tumours every year.

“Zurich has been wonderfully supportive in my team’s mission to raise money for Brain Tumour Research as we’ll be fundraising across all claims sites, and Zurich Community Trust have kindly agreed to match any money we raise with an extra 50% donation. We have a fabulous opportunity to make a huge difference to this amazing charity. So little is known about what causes brain tumours and more research is vital if we are to find a cure for this devastating disease.”

Wendy and her colleagues have already raised £1,405 by holding a bake sale and selling Wear A Hat Day badges and pens in their offices. They’ll be encouraging as many colleagues as possible to don their craziest headwear and make a donation on Thursday 29^th March. Accountancy firm, Menzies, who are located in neighbouring offices, are also supporting the cause. 

Wear A Hat Day has raised over a million pounds since it was launched by the charity Brain Tumour Research nine years ago and is the culmination of Brain Tumour Awareness Month in March. The big day will see schools, workplaces, families and individuals across the UK fundraising and taking part in fun events to raise awareness of brain tumours and help fund life-saving research.

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. Funds raised through Wear A Hat Day 2018 will develop the charity’s network of world-class brain tumour research centres in the UK.

Tim Green, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone, at any age. We are extremely grateful to Wendy and her colleagues at Zurich for getting involved and hope people will support them and be inspired to hold their own events. It’s as easy as wearing a hat and making a donation!”

To get involved, or donate, please visit: www.wearahatday.org or text HAT to 70660 to donate £5*

#HATTASTIC

* Texts cost £5 plus network charge. Brain Tumour Research receives 100% of your donation. Obtain the bill payer’s permission. Call 01908 867200 with any queries.

For further information, please contact:
Susan Castle-Smith at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867206 or 07887 241639 or Susan@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 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.