Welcome to 2014

In April this year it will be five years since we launched Brain Tumour Research. It’s been an inspirational, challenging and sometimes heart-breaking journey.

Sue Farrington Smith Brain Tumour Research New Year Message We launched with two clear objectives - to grow the market for brain tumour research fundraising and to establish seven centres of excellence dedicated to brain tumour research in the UK. We began by highlighting the chronic inequalities in funding for brain tumour research and we published our first incisive report in June 2009 revealing the shocking statistics for the first time that have now become the main stay of many brain tumour charities core messaging.

In July last year we reinforced these ongoing issues with a more penetrating and authoritative report on national research funding flows. Our report, which concluded that funding for brain tumour research is seriously lagging behind funding for other serious diseases at the current levels of national support, it could take another 100 years to find a cure! We presented our report to Government and the larger cancer charities as well to the general public as a direct call to action to get behind our cause and help #FundTheFight.

Funding for research into brain tumours is gathering momentum and we had our best fundraising year ever in 2013, with just under £4m raised by us and our member charities. This is an amazing achievement and it shows clearly how much you are already rallying behind our mission – thank you. But there’s more to be done. Please, read my full message here.

Yours in hope,

Sue Farrington Smith, Chief Executive for Brain Tumour Research