I was delighted that having retired as Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Research on 30th June 2023 due to my abdominal cancer diagnosis and treatment in September 2022 I was able to raise £8,280 for the charity in my first year of retirement in lieu of gifts and several fundraising ventures. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed.

This entitled me to place tiles on the Walls of Hope at three of our Centres of Excellence. The first at ICR where they are researching to advance treatments for the deadliest of childhood cancers - DIPG - the type of brain tumour that took away my beloved niece Alison Phelan three weeks before her eighth birthday on 7th June 2001.

The next at our Centre at Queen Mary University, London (which I am yet to place). They are also undertaking research into children's brain tumours along with studying glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumours, the most aggressive and most common primary high-grade tumour diagnosed in adults. Thank you to all who helped me achieve this on 21st December 2023 - a wonderful Christmas present.

On 3rd July 2024 I was able to place my third tile at our University of Plymouth Centre, the UK’s leading specialist research centre for low-grade brain tumours. Whilst low-grade brain tumours are usually slow growing some can start to grow more rapidly, transforming into high-grade or malignant brain tumours. By understanding the mechanisms in the development of low-grade brain tumours, the researchers can explore ways to halt or slow their growth. With my own abdominal cancer being low-grade - this resonates even more with me now, as you can imagine.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in both founding and growing the charity, incredibly fulfilling years. I am very proud of all we achieved under my leadership. Brain Tumour Research developed into a national charity, raised £43 million, established four pioneering Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence and became the leading voice for the brain tumour community in parliament and the media. I continue to be fulfilled supporting the next chapter of the growth of the charity as a Trustee and community activist and was delighted to be made Vice Chair on 1st July 2024.

My fundraising won’t stop – my next target is to raise another £2,740 and place a tile on the Wall of Hope at Imperial College which is working to improve the diagnosis and treatment of adults with high-grade glioma, including glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary high-grade brain tumour in adults. The Centre has an outstanding ‘Convergence Science’ research programme that brings together researchers from a wide range of disciplines, leveraging their unique skills to answer scientific and clinical questions that will improve patient survival.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and continues to support my fundraising efforts - please don’t stop.

Together we will find a cure.

Sue xx