Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission and Cancer Research Wales Announce New Partnership to Support Excellent Brain Tumour Care and Research in Wales

The TJBCM is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with Cancer Research Wales (CRW) – the independent Welsh cancer research charity. Cancer Research Wales will join the Mission’s Joint Strategy Board, alongside the UK’s key brain tumour charities, national cancer charities, and key governmental organisations, ensuring a dedicated voice for Welsh brain tumour patients in UK-wide strategic initiatives.

Cancer Research Wales is the only charity dedicated to funding cancer research in Wales and has recently committed significant funding to brain tumours through the Brain Tumour Research Initiative (BATRI). Through this work, Cancer Research Wales are investing up to £1 million per year in establishing Wales as a world-leader in brain tumour research, building on the already outstanding treatment, care and research delivered by the NHS, universities and industry across Wales. This announcement therefore comes at a key moment for the Welsh brain tumour community.

A partnership with Cancer Research Wales will build on TJBCM’s close work with Welsh teams over many years. Clinical teams and researchers in Wales have worked closely with TJBCM since 2018, with Centres of Excellence in both the north and south of Wales and over 50 active members of the Tessa Jowell Academy. The TJBCM is delighted to be working with Cancer Research Wales to extend this work, building on a shared goal of improving outcomes, increasing equitable access to excellent treatment and accelerating research in Wales and across the UK.

The announcement marks the first dedicated voice for Wales in the TJBCM. Aligned with the TJBCM’s strategic aim to ensure equity between the UK’s four nations, the partnership ensures a dedicated voice for Welsh patients, clinicians and researchers on the TJBCM’s Joint Strategy Board, facilitating collaborations, ensuring UK-wide initiatives benefit Wales and that the excellence in Wales is shared with the rest of the UK.

Dr Nicky Huskens, TJBCM Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are thrilled that Cancer Research Wales are joining our Joint Strategy Board. I am excited to build on the extensive experience of the CRW team to continue to improve equity and innovation in brain tumour research, treatment and care in Wales and across the UK.”

Dr Lee Campbell, Head of Research at Cancer Research Wales comments, "Following the launch of our Brain Tumour Research Initiative, Cancer Research Wales is delighted to become a partner of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission. As the Welsh cancer research charity, we felt it important that difficult to treat cancers such as brain tumours receive the necessary research investment that will ensure meaningful change and improvement in patient outcomes.

Our partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission will ensure brain tumour patients, clinicians, and researcher have a voice, and are represented at the national and international level.

This exciting collaboration will help the neuro-oncology and brain tumour communities in Wales benefit from the latest breakthroughs that research and innovation have to offer and bring new and better treatments and improved methods of care closer to home".

Miss Kathrin Whitehouse, Consultant Neurosurgeon at University Hospital Wales, said: "This is a fantastic collaboration between Cancer Research Wales and The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission. Cancer Research Wales, through BATRI, are enhancing the ability for Welsh research to contribute to the worldwide knowledge of brain tumours, and hopefully provide opportunities for Welsh patients, and those across the world, to have access to improved treatments and care. It is therefore entirely sensible for them to partner with TJBCM, with this common mission and passion. I hope that this will also further add the Welsh voice to national discussions, from a research perspective in addition to the South and West Wales Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence on the clinical side."

Dr James Powell, Neuro-Oncology lead at Velindre University NHS Trust, said “This partnership between Cancer Research Wales and the TJBCM is fabulous news. We have worked closely with both organisations and bringing the two together in this way, collaborating with the clinical brain tumour service in Wales, will provide further impetus and improvement for brain tumour treatment and research in Wales. We hope that this will provide significant and ongoing benefits to patients with brain tumours in Wales in the coming years.”