Devon law firm WBW has chosen Brain Tumour Research as its Charity of the Year.
Over the coming months, the WBW team aims to raise thousands of pounds to support the charity, which funds a Research Centre of Excellence at Plymouth University.
The firm, which has 170 staff at branches in Newton Abbot, Torquay, Bovey Tracey, and Exeter, hopes to raise £10,000 which will be invested in finding a cure for the disease. Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer … yet just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
WBW Partner Justin Osborne said:
“We will be holding a series of events involving all our employees and are keen to do as much as we can to motivate them to raise funds and awareness. It is part of our ethos as a socially responsible organisation to contribute to the communities in which we live and work and we are looking forward to seeing what we can achieve for this vital cause. It is particularly good to think that our efforts will go towards the ground-breaking research taking place right here in the South West.”
Professor Oliver Hanemann, Associate Dean Research at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and who leads the Plymouth Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence, commented:
“Our thanks go to WBW Solicitors for choosing Brain Tumour Research as its Charity of the Year. The support of local businesses and individuals is hugely important and helps us in our search for suitable and effective therapies to combat brain tumours.”
The research team at Plymouth University are focusing on identifying and understanding the mechanism that makes a cell become cancerous. They are exploring ways in which to halt or reverse that mechanism.
WBW’s fundraising will be supported by Peter Jordan, the charity’s community fundraiser in the south west who lost his father, Jim Jordan, from Paignton, to a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumour at the age of 76.
Peter said:
“I am looking forward to working with the team at WBW. Their support will help us give hope to the many families who are affected by this dreadful disease. Brain Tumour Research is striving to fund a network of seven dedicated research centres whilst challenging the government and larger cancer charities to invest more in brain tumour research.”
The research centre at Plymouth University is part of a network of four funded by the charity where world-leading research into the causes of brain tumours and improving treatments is taking place.