Campaigners, patients and politicians will gather at Westminster today (Tuesday 19th March) to call on the Government to declare brain tumours a clinical priority and to release more funding for research into the disease.
In 2018, the Government made £40 million available to brain tumour researchers, but £28 million of this total still has not been deployed. Our manifesto, “It is time to do things differently”, calls on the Government to tackle this and invest properly into brain tumour research.
Dan Knowles, our Chief Executive, said: "£28 million of promised Government funding still hasn’t been deployed. That money is yet to fund researchers, and it is yet to provide any new hope for patients and their families. Research investment leads to innovation and clinical trials, resulting in new knowledge, new techniques, new therapeutics and improved options and outcomes for patients. If there isn’t investment in research clinical advancements will not happen.
“Other cancers in recent decades have seen increased research investment and associated improvements in survival. Now is the time for us to make the same investment in brain tumours and find a cure for this devastating disease.”
Among the attendees joining us at the launch of our manifesto will be Netflix star Craig Russell (pictured below with his wife Kate), who was diagnosed with a meningioma in February last year after suffering from months of migraines and episodes of brain fog. He underwent surgery and had part of his skull replaced.
The 46-year-old actor and producer, who played Mark Antony in the drama Queen Cleopatra, will speak to MPs to highlight the urgent need for change.
Father-of-two Craig, from Cornwall, said: “Before being told I had a brain tumour, I didn’t know how little funding research this disease receives. It’s opened up conversations with friends and family who have commented how much more they are noticing brain tumour stories in their everyday lives.
“The fact 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 since records began in 2002 is ludicrous.”
The event at Westminster takes place during Brain Tumour Awareness Month, which culminates in Wear A Hat Day, our flagship fundraiser, on Thursday 28th March.
By supporting Brain Tumour Research through a fundraiser, making a donation or campaigning with us, you can help find a cure and stop brain tumours devastating lives. Together, we can make a difference.
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