It was on this day 20 years ago that then Buckingham MP John Bercow established the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours (APPGBT).
A press release during that week in 2005 noted: “John has championed the cause of brain tumours ever since his constituent Sue Farrington Smith, of Ali’s Dream, went to see him in January 2004 to highlight the issues. In April 2004, he initiated an adjournment debate in the House of Commons, and in October 2004, sponsored an MPs', reception at the House of Commons.”
Sue, of course, became the founding Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Research and was awarded an MBE in 2016.
Until her retirement in 2023, Sue kept a keen eye on the APPG, guiding, advising and overseeing important pieces of work, such as the 2023 landmark inquiry report ‘Pathway to a Cure – breaking down the barriers’, which demanded action to make research into brain tumours a “critical priority”.
Five years earlier, the APPGBT launched its first-ever inquiry, compiling evidence and publishing the report 'Brain Tumours - a cost too much to bear?'.
Just as it was in 2005, so it remains in 2025: the APPGBT is set up to raise awareness of the issues facing the brain tumour community in order to improve research, diagnosis, information, support, treatment and care outcomes.
Chairs, officers and members have come and gone over the past two decades, but we feel very fortunate that the current custodian of the Chair of the APPGBT is Dame Siobhain McDonagh, a passionate and dynamic driving force.
We will return to this anniversary in later communications but, today, we are honoured to note this 20-year anniversary, and are proud of the role we played in setting up the group, and continue to play by supplying secretariat support.
Campaign with us and help us to remain the leading voice of the brain tumour community.
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