Hayley Smith (pictured), whose husband Matthew is currently living with a glioblastoma brain tumour, is organising The Big Burns Ball to boost funds for The Brain Tumour Charity.
It is on Saturday, 25 January at Fingask Castle in Rait, Perthshire, and Bathgate-based Hayley, organised the first Burns Ball in January 2017 shortly after Matthew was diagnosed with Grade 4, glioblastoma brain tumour. It raised £5,100.
She then set up a supporter group of The Brain Tumour Charity and Hayley revealed: “Since starting the fund we have raised £24,000 and I’m hoping to raise £30,000 by my 30th birthday in July.
“People have been so supportive and we have people coming from all over Scotland to attend. Businesses across Perthshire, Glasgow and Edinburgh have donated some incredible prizes including a meal for two at Andrew Fairlie’s two-Michelin star restaurant at Gleneagles.
“Andrew sadly passed away from a brain tumour last January and his team at the restaurant have supported my fund-raising which we are really grateful for.”
The Brain Tumour Charity is the largest dedicated funder of research into adult and paediatric brain tumours globally and has committed £8.6m to projects in Scotland to date.
Hayley said: “We urgently need to find new treatments and ultimately a cure as more and more people are being diagnosed with this devastating disease.”
The charity is funding leading researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Glasgow University and both trials are using collaboration across the health sector.
Tickets for the ball are £50 each including a welcome drink and three-course meal and can be purchased from: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-big-burns-ball-2020-tickets-81385693801
Find out more: https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/
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