Representatives from our Member Charities gathered yesterday in the historic city of York for our biannual Member Charity Workshop.
For the first time, this event has been held alongside our annual Researcher Workshop, giving these charities the opportunity to connect directly with the scientists driving the pioneering work in our Centres of Excellence.
Attendees heard directly from our funded researchers about how they are working to change the story for brain tumour patients and on the latest advances in research into the disease. Member Charities also shared their own successes and challenges, and learned from our Head of Campaigning and Policy, Matthew Sowemimo, how charities in our sector can help shape positive change – often starting with contacting local MPs to build support to champion the case for change.
Matthew (pictured above) shared inspiring examples of how supporters of medical charities have mobilised to secure major improvements in health policy. Brain Tumour Research is preparing to promote our own supporter campaigning initiative across several UK regions. To learn more about our campaigning and how you can join us to drive change, click here.
Cat Strawbridge, the new CEO of the Brain and Spine Foundation, shared the Foundation’s priorities and vision for supporting people affected by brain and spine conditions. And Niki O’Dea-Patel, founder of Shay’s Smiles, spoke about the charity’s work supporting families and funding vital research in memory of her son Shay, who died from glioblastoma at the age of 13. Shay’s Smiles is funding vital research at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London, which is developing new treatment strategies for glioblastoma.
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