March is Brain Tumours Awareness Month, and BTA is getting off to a grand start with our Fashion Show at Leighton Buzzard Golf Club on the evening of Friday 5th March. Organized by BTA’s Home Counties Representative Nicole Witts and her team of volunteers, the show features fashion from Daisie Lane, make-up demonstrations from Clarins, styling by Sculptors and a display of lingerie!

The occasion sold out within days, and is being supported by Andrew Selous MP, Leighton Buzzard TV, Essentials Beauty, St Jude’s Clinic, Lloyds Skincare and Makeup and guests will be entertained by 2008 X Factor contestants Ladies With Soul.

Thanks go to Michelle Cottingham, everyone at Leighton Buzzard Golf Club, and Lincoln Design and Print.

Time:

Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every other month 1.30-3.00pm.

Contact:

Contact Anne Coles on 0845 450 1039, or Jason Bowie on 01202 263072

Location:

The Springfield Hotel, Grange Road Wareham BH20 5AL

"Wear A Hat To Work" in March 2010 and raise money for research

Brain Tumour Action is partnering with the umbrella group charity Brain Tumour Research and other member charities to use the month of March 2010 to raise awareness and funds for brain tumour charities.  We are hoping that everyone will join us to wear a hat on a date in March and help us with this campaign.

The impossible can be achieved

In the UK, five year survival for leukaemia is now 80% compared to 20% thirty years ago and in most cases there is a cure.  This is because of the sterling work done by charities such as Children with Leukaemia and Leukaemia Research with the support of celebrities like Gary Lineker to raise awareness and funds for research into leukaemia.  The impossible has happened, families are seeing loved ones beat the disease and live much longer than they would have ever dreamed possible.

Brain tumours are sometimes called a Cinderella disease, because so little is known about them.  This means they are also forgotten when it comes to allocating funds for research.  Yet, more children and people under the age of 40 die of a brain tumour than leukaemia or any other cancer and five year survival is still only 14%.

Can you help?

Would you, your workplace, club or organization consider having a ‘wear a hat’ day to help us with our brain tumour awareness month in March?  Would you consider asking people to wear a hat and bring in a pound or two on any day in March to suit you?  If you want to do more than this we would be delighted.  Here are links to four posters and a guide to running your Wear A Hat Day:

Poster One

Poster Two

Poster Three

Poster Four

Guide To Running Your Own Wear A Hat Day

Please note that Poster One and Poster Two are intended for use in schools, and Posters Three and Four are designed for the workplace.

Monies raised will be split between Brain Tumour Action and Brain Tumour Research.  Cheques to be made payable to Brain Tumour Action (we will forward monies to Brain Tumour Research).

If you can help in this way we would also love you to send any photos from the day to upload to our website.  Please contact me on administrator@braintumouraction.org.uk

http://www.braintumourresearch.org/ Brain Tumour Research
http://alisdream.f2s.com/ Ali’s Dream
http://www.andreasgift.org.uk/ Andrea’s Gift
http://www.annashope.co.uk/ Anna’s Hope
http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/ The Brain and Spine Foundation
http://www.wayahead-btrc.org/ Brain Tumour Research Campaign
http://www.brainstrust.org.uk/ Brainstrust – The Meg Jones Brain Cancer Charity
http://www.brainwaves-ni.org/ Brainwaves – Northern Ireland Brain Cancer Charity
http://www.cbtrc.org/ The Childrens’ Brain Tumour Research Centre
http://www.elliestrust.org/ Ellie’s Trust
http://www.hammerout.co.uk/ Hammer Out
http://www.levisstar.co.uk/ Levi’s Star
http://www.btbuddies.org.uk/ BTBuddies
http://www.libertyrosetrust.org/ The Liberty Rose Trust
http://www.braintumouruk.org.uk/ Brain Tumour UK
http://www.cccrf.co.uk/ Christopher Clarke Cancer Research Fund
http://www.andrewmccartneyphotos.co.uk/ The Andrew McCartney Trust Fund for Brain Tumour Research
http://www.braintumourukeast.co.uk/ The Eastern Counties Arm of Brain Tumour UK
http://www.meningiomauk.org/ Meningioma UK
http://poppyfieldsappeal.co.uk/index.asp Poppy Fields Charity
http://www.jamieswish.co.uk/ Jamie’s Wish
http://www.pcmt.org/ The Peter Culverhouse Memorial Trust
http://afrt.org.uk/afrt/index.htm Alison Fracella Research Trust
http://www.edevansfoundation.co.uk/index.html The Ed Evans Foundation

International information and campaigning organisations

http://www.virtualtrials.com/ Virtual Trials – Information about clinical trials worldwide
http://www.theibta.org/ The International Brain Tumour Association
http://www.abta.org/ The American Brain Tumour Association
http://www.braintumor.org/GeneralMenu/ The National Brain Tumor Society (USA)
http://www.brainlife.org/index.htm BrainLife – current neuro-oncology

United States charities and foundations
http://www.tugmcgraw.org/home.asp The Tug McGraw Foundation
http://www.thekortneyrosefoundation.org/ The Kortney Rose Foundation
http://www.charleswarrenfoundation.org/ The Charles Warren Foundation
http://www.tbkf.org/index01.htm The Brad Kaminsky Foundation
http://www.hopewithsupport.org/ Hope With Support
http://www.ssbtr.org/index.php?action=gid_1 Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research
http://www.brain-treatments.net/ Brain Tumor Treatments
http://home.earthlink.net/~sdepesa/ Living With a Malignant Brain Tumor – a Patient’s Guide

General cancer assistance, support and information

http://essentialaids.com/ Essential Aids: The UK’s Online Shop for Living Aids and Accessories
http://www.chill4us.com/news/index.php Chll4us – online forum for carers from all backgrounds
http://www.neurosupport.org.uk/ The superb Neurosupport Centre in Liverpool
http://www.winstonswish.org.uk/ Winston’s Wish – the charity for bereaved children
http://www.maggiescentres.org/maggies/maggiescentres/home/home.html Maggie’s Centres – magnificent, award-winning drop-in centres for cancer patients of all kinds, ages and backgrounds. Essential.
http://www.cafamily.org.uk/index.php?section=861 Contact A Family: for families with disabled children
http://www.riprap.org.uk/ Riprap – a website for children of parents with cancer
http://www.yct.org.uk/home.aspx The Youth Cancer Trust – free holidays for cancer patients aged 14-30
http://www.carersandbraintumours.org/ Carers and Brain Tumours – magnificent support and advice for carers in particular
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Home.aspx Macmillan Cancer Support
http://www.cancerbuddiesnetwork.org/ The Cancer Buddies Network – contact and share with people going through the same experiences
http://www.anac.org.uk/ New Approaches to Cancer – holistic approaches
http://www.neurosupport.org.uk/working.html The Working Life Service – staying in work after your diagnosis
http://www.neural.org.uk/ The Neurological Alliance
http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/ The Teenage Cancer Trust
http://www.click4tic.org.uk/Home Teen Info on Cancer
http://www.rarercancers.org.uk/ The Rarer Cancers Forum
http://www.cherylbroyles-gbm.com/ Life’s Mountains by Cheryl Broyles
http://www.beatson.scot.nhs.uk/content/default.asp?page=s17 The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow
http://www.basiccharity.org.uk/ Brain and Spinal Injury Centre
http://www.neurooncology.scot.nhs.uk/ SANON – the Scottish Adult Neuro-Oncology Network

Carly Hornbuckle was told four-year-old daughter Bella Flint’s condition was nothing serious. But the worried 25-year-old did her homework online and realised Bella could be suffering from a brain tumour. After finally convincing doctors of the seriousness of her condition, a brain scan revealed a tumour the size of a golf ball. Bella was suffering from Medulloblastoma – a brain tumour found in the cerebellum, which controls movement and balance.

There are two issues here that will be familiar to parents of children with brain tumours:

1. Many GPs come across brain tumours rarely, if at all.
2. Informed parents face an uphill struggle to convince medical professionals that their concerns are valid and ought to be listened to.

Bella Flint’s mother did the most important thing of all – keep going. Bella’s scans revealed the truth about her illness, but getting that far took persistence and the courage to seek a second opinion: that all-important second opinion secured Bella’s referral to Leicester Royal Infirmary for tests, and, ultimately, the scans.

You can read more about Bella and Carly’s experiences, and keep up to date with her condition, at the Tinkerbella’s Wishes website.

• More Neuro-oncology Staff at hospitals nationwide

• Continuity of Care from diagnosis onwards

• Post Treatment care improved and expanded nationwide

• More funding for training specialist doctors nationwide

• Regional centres – more research centres across the UK

• GP – assistance with early diagnosis of tumours

• Opticians – assistance with early diagnosis of tumours

• Research funding – MRC/government money hugely increased

• More scanners in hospitals and medical centres nationwide

• Access to new drugs at the earliest possible moment

• Proton therapy : not available in UK/how, when & where/postcode lottery/impact on research funding

• Standard of care across all disciplines not consistent:  treatment/ after care

• IOG (Improving Outcomes Guidance) – implementation

Back to Online Lobbying Resources Page

1. Only use BTA’s online lobbying facilities for the purpose of contacting your own local politicians, and only use them for BTA-led lobbying and for no other purpose.
2. “Your own local politicians” refers to those politicians elected to serve the area in which your home address falls. Please do not use our facilities to contact politicians elected to serve the area in which your work address falls.
3. Please use your own words when contacting a politician using our online facilities. We can provide guidelines for you on a particular topic, but if you express them in words of your own choosing the impact is much the greater.
4. Courtesy is essential when addressing politicians. A calm and professional approach is core to our public image and to our success.
5. Please do not “over-lobby.” Multiple messages on the same subject from the same person only lose impact for others. Single messages from many different people obtain the greatest impact. At most, contact any given politician no more than once per month, unless the politician has expressly invited correspondence.
6. For the most part, please stick to responding to BTA Lobbying Alerts, and respond to them within the date specified in the alert.

Thank you for reading these guidelines, and thank you above all for the crucial part you are playing in creating the political conditions for change for patients with brain tumours!

Back to BTA Lobbying Resources Page

Sky Diving is just one of many challenges available

Brain Tumour Action and Charity Challenge have got together to offer you the chance to enjoy life-changing experiences in some of the world’s most incredible places – and to help in the fight against brain tumours at the same time.

Climb Kilimanjaro and help the fight against brain tumours

Charity Challenge are the UK’s top challenge-creating companies, and organised the very successful Comic Relief celebrity Kilimanjaro climb for Gary Barlow, Cheryl Cole, Kimberley Walsh, Ronan Keating, Chris Moyles, Denise Van Outen, Alesha Dixon, Ben Shephard and Fearne Cotton which raised over £3.35million.

The 3 Peaks Challenge - a favourite with BTA fundraisers

Getting a challenge together for yourself is simple. Click here to download our Charity Challenge Brochure. Choose a challenge from the brochure. Then fill in the online form below -  we’ll reply with full details. Raise your funds, and off you go, knowing that you are in safe hands and that everything is professionally taken care of.

There are Challenges for just about everyone. And, if your time is short, you don’t have to travel: the Three Peaks Challenge is a popular choice for Brain Tumour Action fundraisers – or perhaps you’d prefer to Skydive!

And it’s not all just about cycling, hiking and climbing. You can change the lives of patients with brain tumours by helping other people change their lives for the better too in the South African Community Challenge.

The South African Community Challenge - Making A Difference to Make A Difference

If you’ve never fundraised before, this is a great way to start – with help from Brain Tumour Action and Charity Challenge, you’ll have the resources you need to succeed. And in years to come, when you look back on your challenge, you’ll know that it made a difference in one of the hardest health battles of our time: the search for a cure for brain tumours.

Click here to read BTA’s Lobbying Guidelines

Read a list of subjects agreed with Brain Tumour Research UK for BTA Political Lobbying

Information and Contact Details for both Scottish and UK Parliaments

Get in touch with your local politicians