Specialist doctors and nurses who treat patients with brain and spine tumours are wearing hats of all shapes and sizes, to raise funds for scientists working to find a cure.
The neuro-oncology team at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth are joining many others across the south west, and nationwide, to get involved in Wear A Hat Day which, this year, takes place on Thursday 29th March.
Each year patients of all ages, with many different types of low- and high-grade brain tumours, are treated by the expert team at Derriford. Their dedication to patients and the ground-breaking work being carried out locally by scientists at Brain Tumour Research’s Centre of Excellence at the University of Plymouth, has inspired the whole team to raise funds and awareness for the charity. The university is one of the charity’s four UK Centres of Excellence which are working together to gain a greater understanding of brain tumours and to identify ways in which they can be treated effectively.
The hospital’s neuro-oncology nurse specialists, Helen Cooper, Jenny Berei, Louise Davies, Tony Shute and Glad Baldry, are leading the team’s fundraising efforts for Wear A Hat Day, donning fun headwear themselves, and encouraging their colleagues to join in the fun.
Glad, who has worked in neuro-oncology care at Derriford for over 10 years, said: “We are all too aware that many thousands of families are affected by brain tumours every year. Much more research is needed to understand what causes different types of tumours, and to ultimately find a cure. We’re proud to be joining so many other people all over the country taking part in Wear A Hat Day to raise money for this vital research.”
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.
Emma Cronin, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone, at any age. We are extremely grateful to Helen, Jenny, Glad and the whole team at Derriford Hospital 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.