Charity and historic city institution put heads together for fundraising success

Members of the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers have chosen to support the charity and hope to raise a significant sum to support its vital work in raising awareness of brain tumours, campaigning to increase the national investment in research to bring hope to patients and their families, and fund discovery science at its world-leading Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence.

Simon Wilkinson, who lives in Granborough and recently took up the prestigious role of Master Feltmaker, said: “I am delighted that we are able to support the vital work of this important charity which is the leading voice of the brain tumour community. One in three people know someone affected by a brain tumour and our members are working on creative ways in which we can raise funds.

“The Feltmakers Company is a thriving and relevant influencer of the modern trade and business of millinery across the UK and internationally so it is particularly fitting that we can support Brain Tumour Research, a charity which has become synonymous with the hat, and are very excited in particular to support Wear A Hat Day which takes place in March every year, at the end of Brain Tumour Awareness Month.”

Simon was among members of the Company who attended a reception at Brain Tumour

Research HQ in Shenley Wood to launch the partnership. Also there were the charity’s Chief Executive Dan Knowles and its co-founder, who is now a Trustee, Sue Farrington Smith MBE, who lives in Padbury.

Dan said: “We are extremely honoured to be the Company’s charity of choice for the next three years and I’m excited to see what we can achieve together. Brain Tumour Research has a long and successful track record of working with milliners and having the support of the Feltmakers will be an amazing boost for the charity.”

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 brain tumours since records began in 2002.

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.

To find out more about the charity go to: www.braintumourresearch.org.