A Beaworthy mum-of-two raised over £600 for Brain Tumour Research last Friday (March 27) on Wear A Hat Day - the UK’s biggest brain tumour awareness and fundraising campaign.

Magda Robertson, 49, wore her favourite hat to work last week, raising £627 for the research charity. However, that number is expected to increase as Magda plans to meet with her colleagues and hold a hat-wearing day at the office.

She said: “I did Wear A Hat Day myself as I was working from home, but we will have another day with the whole team. We will all wear hats and go into a meeting room - we do have some proper work to discuss - and I’ll take a picture.”

Magda has been a long-time supporter of Wear A Hat Day and Brain Tumour Research as she herself was diagnosed with meningioma - a non-cancerous brain tumour - six years ago. In 2023, she raised £345 for the charity and, in a previous year, held a Wear A Hat Day event and “Best Hat” competition, with her children picking the winner.

Five years ago, she underwent brain surgery and donated parts of the removed tumour to Plymouth University’s Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence to support research and improve outcomes for future patients.

Magda said: “Donating my tumour felt like a really important way to give something back. If what I’ve been through can help researchers learn more and improve treatments for others, then that means everything to me. Research is the only way we’re going to find better options and ultimately a cure so it’s something I feel incredibly proud to be part of.”

Magda’s diagnosis came after years of unrecognised symptoms, including vision problems, migraines, and eventually tinnitus, which were initially attributed to other causes until scans identified the tumour. She underwent 11 hours of surgery at Southmead Hospital in Bristol in March 2021 and spent a week recovering in hospital. Her family were unable to visit during this time due to Covid restrictions.

Due to the location of the tumour, surgeons are unable to remove the tumour completely, so Magda undergoes annual MRI scans to monitor the remaining tumour and remains committed to raising awareness and supporting others affected.

Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women under 35, yet only one per cent of national cancer research funding has been allocated to brain tumours since 2002.

Wear A Hat Day invites people across the UK to wear their favourite hat, raise funds, and support efforts to find a cure for all types of brain tumours. Since 2010, supporters have raised over £2.2 million to fund research breakthroughs and advocate for increased government investment.

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. The charity also advocates for increased investment from the Government and major cancer charities to accelerate the development of new treatments and ultimately find a cure. It leads the call for a national annual spend of £35 million to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers, such as breast cancer and leukaemia.