25 March 2022
‘Wear A Hat Day 2022 - Brain Tumour Awareness’

16,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour every year. Only 20% of those diagnosed survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers. Brain tumours are indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any age – killing more people under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

A couple of years ago, I lost a close childhood friend, Charlie, to a brain tumour – he was aged just 50 and in the prime of his life.

So many others have similar stories – that’s why I’ve donned my cap again on Brain Tumour Research’s ‘Wear A Hat Day’, thinking this year in particular of my constituent Stuart Grant who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2019 and has recently walked 10,000 steps a day in February to fundraise for Brain Tumour Research.

I was very proud to secure £30m for brain tumour research when I was Minister for Life Science. Now as Minister for Science, Research & Innovation it’s wonderful to see how much great work is being done with this funding at the Centres of Excellence at Plymouth, QMUL, Imperial and Portsmouth Universities and by so many great patients and volunteers.

For Charlie, and the thousands of others who have lost their lives or been affected by brain tumours:

George Freeman MP

Learn more about Stuart’s story here.

Learn more about Brain Tumour Research and their Centres of Excellence here.