Scotland's first ever Hat Walk raising money for brain tumour charity set to take place in Fife

Lisa Jones, from Glenrothes who owns Off With Her Head Millinery, has teamed up with Leanne Cairns of Leanne Cairns Millinery in Kilmarnock, to organise the free event where everyone must wear a hat at Dunfermline’s Pittencrieff Park for the charity Brain Tumour Research this coming Sunday, April 7.

The event is in collaboration with World Hat Walk, which is held in 14 locations globally, including London Hat Walk.

The pair were inspire to do “something positive” after the 14-year-old daughter of one of Leanne’s close friends, Clare Cornyn, was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Leanne, 47, said: “When Clare’s daughter Emma was ten, she started getting headaches and became tired all the time.

“She then became forgetful; after a bout of double vision, she went to the opticians where they could see she had a brain tumour, a craniopharyngioma, around her pituitary gland. Emma is like a niece to me so it was an incredibly anxious time.”

More than 1000 people in Scotland are diagnosed with a brain tumour every year, and around 400 people in the country die from high-grade brain tumours annually.

Since her diagnosis, Emma has undergone five procedures to try and deflate the tumour, and to drain excess fluid. She had an endonasal endoscopic operation at the Royal Hospital for children in Glasgow to treat problems with her sinuses. She now needs to take daily medication to replace hormones due to suffering deficiencies.

Leanne said: “Overall Emma is a witty, humorous and intelligent girl who has an active, full and normal life but the tumour takes constant care to maintain. At some point, it will require further treatment but it’s such a rare disorder that there are no answers, which is why research is so vital.

“We’re so grateful to the milliners William Chambers Millinery and Stephanie Gallen Millinery from Glasgow, and Highland Hat Blocks in Aberdeen for helping to purchase special Brain Tumour Research badges for giveaways to attendees.

“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. More needs to be done to help find a cure.”

Katrina Jones, head of community fundraising at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are extremely grateful to Leanne and Lisa for holding this amazing Hat Walk. With their support, we can get closer to our vision of finding a cure for all types of brain tumours by funding research at our Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.

To donate to the Scotland Hat Walk, visit: justgiving.com/page/scotlandhatwalk

To sign up for the walk, visit: eventbrite.co.uk/e/scotland-hat-walk-tickets-864098962257