Best wishes for 2025 from all of us in the Brain Tumour Research Campaigning Team.
In ten days time there will be a meeting of the Policy & Stakeholder Sub-Committee comprising a number of trustees, our CEO (Dan), our Director of Research, Policy and Innovation (Karen) plus other key stakeholders to review progress in the last quarter of 2024 and, crucially, to look at the plans we are suggesting as a policy team for 2025.
One of the most important things is not to redo what we have already done but to consolidate and take forward key pieces of work. Central to these are the APPG inquiry report of 2023 ( Pathway to a Cure - Breaking Down The Barriers) and our 2024 manifesto ('It's Time To Do Things Differently').
We will be clear that these are living documents, as relevant now as they were when first printed and that their recommendations must be front and centre of our policy work in 2025
You can review the inquiry report here and our manifesto here.
We are proud to have supported the re- registering of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours ( APPGBT) in the new Parliament and to have maintained our position as providers of the group's secretariat and we already have provisional dates for three meetings in 2025.We look forward to working closely with the dynamic Chair of the group, Dame Siobhain McDonagh whose focus is absolutely on what can we do for patients diagnosed with a brain tumour now.
Two key documents we will provide brain tumour related input into in 2025 will be the NHS 10 year Health Plan ( we have already done this) and also the recently announced Cancer Plan promised for delivery this summer.
As a part of our campaigning strategy, Evan will be using information from our database to attract new political stakeholders and to ensure we have a brain tumour campaigner in every UK constituency
He is also developing a spreadsheet of Parliamentary questions to be asked at Westminster and we will be asking for your support in helping us getting these questions asked and answered.
Thomas is resolute in his aim to maintain and increase our visibility in the devolved nations and plans are already in place to build on what we achieved in Wales and Scotland during last year's Brain Tumour Awareness Month ( March).
This is what happened last year Our biggest Brain Tumour Awareness Month ever – Brain Tumour Research.
We also have a couple of very specific points that we will be campaigning on in Scotland to try and ensure that there is equity of access for new drugs, trials and interventions across the UK.
Please do keep reading these updates to keep abreast of the latest news.
As part of our Activist Strategy we are looking to build on the success of last December's Will Quince webinar and look forward to bringing our campaigning community together virtually in 2025.
We will be following up on our November meeting with Minister Gwynne and pushing to make sure the regulatory authorities treat any progress in the brain tumour landscape with the sense of urgency that befits a cancer where progress has been glacial and fallen behind progress made in other cancer sites.
We have meetings lined up with other charities in our space to make sure we dovetail efforts when able and avoid the duplication of endeavour which could lead to confusion.
We are looking to work with the highest calibre of strategic thinkers from all areas to ensure we work both at a granular level but also dream big albeit with a degree of realism.
Thanks to you, our campaigners we also have new, engaged political stakeholders at Westminster who you have communicated with and who have replied indicating a willingness to support us. Thank you all so much for your efforts with this - it doesn't fall by the wayside we pick up with every MP or member of their team who shows an interest.
The more we have with us the more our voice is amplified.
Thank you for being a part of our campaigning community and please do get in touch.
What are your wishes for the coming year from a campaigning perspective?
We'd love to hear from you.
We are in this together.
Hugh, Thomas and Evan