Sue Farrington Smith – the Co-founder and former Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Research – is announced today as our new Ambassador.
Known to so many across the brain tumour community as a pioneering charity visionary, dedicated to improving outcomes for children and adults diagnosed with the devastating disease, Sue is stepping down as a Trustee to fufil her new role.
Sue’s enduring inspiration has been the loss of her niece Alison Phelan (pictured above) to a brain stem glioma (commonly known as a DIPG) in 2001, aged seven. It led her parents, Julie and Gary, to set up Ali’s Dream, with support from Sue, at a time when less than £1 million per year was being invested in research into brain tumours.
Sue was instrumental in forging relationships with other UK brain tumour charities and, in 2009, co-founded Brain Tumour Research with a vision to find a cure for all types of brain tumour. By 2013, the Charity was already raising more than £1 million a year, and by the time Sue retired as Chief Executive, five Centres of Excellence had been established, with £43 million raised.
Sue’s retirement came about following radical treatment for low-grade abdominal cancer, but she maintained her Charity focus as a Trustee and then Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees.
As she moves on to be able to devote more time to her other passions – her family and her church – we welcome Sue in her new role as Ambassador, as she says: “I remain committed to the Charity, our vision to find a cure for all types of brain tumours and our mission to increase the national investment in research into brain tumours, to bring parity with other cancers.
“I am very proud of all that we have achieved over the last 16 years and the eight years before Brain Tumour Research was founded. My passion will not wane – I will always be Co-founder and will continue to support the next era of the Charity’s growth as an Ambassador and activist, and refer my network to Brain Tumour Research, as well as attend events, fundraise and donate.”
To make a donation in recognition of Sue’s incredible contribution to the brain tumour cause, go to her retirement fundraising page.
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