The £1,000 challenge

The Joseph Foote £1,000 challenge was launched in January 2011 in a bid to continue to momentum of fundraising at the charity and help fund pioneering research at the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre (CBTRC) at Nottingham University. The initiative is a charming one due to its simplicity and ability to enable participants express themselves.

So what is the £1,000 challenge?

The challenge invites anyone looking to fundraise for the charity to take on the goal of raising £1,000 that will directly fund breakthrough brain tumour research. Interestingly, there are very few restrictions on how this money can be raised. This ensures that those looking to fundraise in an exciting, quirky or unique way are only restricted by their imagination. Participants have come from every walk of life, and each has harnessed an interest, fear or passion in order to raise money for brain tumour research.

As a consequence of this fundraising freedom, over the past ten months we have seen more weird and wonderful forms of fundraising than you would care to believe. From the conventional coffee morning, bike ride, marathon or bake sale, to the slightly more random tree camping, pyramid lunches, abseiling down castle walls, and powerboat racing. We are fast discovering that the beauty of the £1,000 challenge is its ability to harness the dreams of those wishing to fundraise for us.

£1,000 Challenger Sam 

The timing of this initiative has coincided with the increasingly full force of the economic recession. It has meant that the charity sector has become even more competitive as disposable income levels have declined in the face of job losses and rising costs. The £1,000 challenge is allowing us to break the mould and create a fun environment that enables us to continue to attract fundraisers despite to poor economic outlook. 

How successful is the challenge?

We have raised £40,000 over the past ten months through the scheme and have harnessed the energy of over 100 fundraisers who have completed or are looking to complete their challenges in the coming months. Exposure has been fantastic with participants featuring in the local and regional press far too many times to count. We have also had an encouraging number of participants choosing to take up a second £1,000 challenge having enjoyed their experience so much the first time round.

We have been blown away by the response to the £1,000 challenge. Its ability to harness the passion, enthusiasm and excitement of our fundraisers has been refreshing. We believe that the challenge can continue to grow with the help of individuals, families, groups of friends, small businesses and community groups that are joining us every day to undertake the challenge. 

If you would like to be part of the fun and help raise money for brain tumour research then please get in contact. Further information can be found on our website. 

The Silent Killer

As a member of staff at the UK based brain tumour charity ‘The Joseph Foote Trust’ I am constantly fighting a battle with the public, health professionals and government officials to educate and inform them of the extent of the brain tumour problem. Sadly, it is the case that unless you know someone who has been directly affected by a brain tumour you are more than likely will not know the scale of the disease.

When out on the street fundraising, we often pose the question to people; what do you think the five year survival rate is in the UK for brain tumours? Their answer; a shrug of the shoulders or perhaps a distant guess. They most definitely do not expect to learn that the five year survival rate in the UK is 15% or that more children and adults under 40 die of brain cancer than any other cancer in the UK. They are simply unaware of The Silent Killer.

So what is the consequence of this lack of awareness?

For the 48,000 families that are affected by a primary or secondary brain tumour in the UK every year, not knowing anything about brain tumours prior to diagnosis serves to compound the desperation and angst in the immediate aftermath of receiving a diagnosis. It makes the disease feel mysterious and alien. Families are not aware of treatment possibilities, survival rates and the support available. They often feel alone, trying to confront this strange disease that perhaps a week ago they knew nothing about. I am sure this is a feeling that many carers may relate to.

Once families come to terms with diagnosis, they face yet further frustration with the lack of brain tumour awareness. As a result of poor public, government and health professional awareness, those caring for a brain tumour sufferer must come to terms with the fact that less than 1% of the NHS (National Health Service) research grant is directed towards brain tumour research. Put simply, they must come to terms with the reality that as a result of poor awareness of the disease the prognosis of their loved one is likely to suffer greatly. It is at this point they realise they wished everyone in the world knew about the scale of brain cancer suffering; about the lack of funding for research, treatment and support.

What can we do to bring about change?

We must all understand that this really is a case of every little helps. Bit by bit everyone can make a difference. Whether it is telling your family and friends about the disease, putting up posters in public places, writing to your local government representative or simply sharing links and information on social networking sites such as facebook and twitter. Together we can slowly start to chip away at the problem.

If we think smart rather than hard we can make an even greater difference. Do you or someone you know have connections to the media, a minor celebrity or a local business? By communicating a message to someone with the capability to speak to the masses your message can be broadcast to a wider audience. In the UK we have recently seen the case of a wonderful young boy Harry Moseley (aged only 11) from Birmingham who through his use of the media and celebrities has significantly raised the profile of The Silent Killer in the UK. Before his recent death, Harry was frequently featured in the press, on the TV and radio and used his twitter account to communicate with high profile celebrities on a daily basis. He has made a fantastic contribution to the brain tumour community through his work.  

So what do we tell people?

This is the simple part. Together we can tell people the things you would have liked to know when you were first thrust into the brain tumour world. Is something being done about the disease? Am I or my family alone or are there many others like me? Could the signs of the cancer have been spotted sooner? Who is available to help? Where can I seek advice, support and care?

Together by generating brain tumour awareness, we can do our bit to combat The Silent Killer.