Crawley resident wears rainbow cowboy hat to raise money for Brain Tumour Research

This is an annual fundraiser and awareness day which takes place towards the end of Brain Tumour Awareness Month, on March 25.

Paul Taylor-Burr, a Co-op Member Pioneer from Crawley, said his inspiration for the event, which will see him take to social media during the latter half of a sleep out he is doing for a Crawley-based homeless shelter, comes after watching his best friend, Craig Bridger’s brain tumour battle.

Mr Bridger, from Cornwall, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in 2013 after experiencing problems with his balance and eyesight. He was given a prognosis of up to 18 months but survived more than two years, dying at the age of 40.

Paul, 54, who met Craig when they were colleagues in the late 90s said: “His nickname was Mr Blobby because he weighed about 27 stone. He was a huge bloke but huge in many ways, not just in stature, and he certainly had a way with the ladies – I think they liked the ‘cheeky chappy’ side of him.

“He started losing his balance and bumping into things and a third of his eye was kind of misty so he finally went to the doctor.

“He thought it could be an ear infection, something really mild he could take a couple of tablets for, take a week off work, and get back to normal, but he was told he had a brain tumour and that it wasn’t in a place they could do anything about.”

Craig underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy but decided to cease treatment in 2016 after experiencing increased mobility and communication problems, as well as paranoia.

Paul continues: “I want to raise what I can for the charity because I saw what Craig’s brain tumour did to him. He went from being this larger than life character to being a shadow of his former self. He just wasn’t him by the end. It was a complete and utter turnaround from the fun-loving, jumping-for-joy guy I’d always known.”

Now in its 13th year, Wear A Hat Day has raised more than £2 million for Brain Tumour Research to help fund the fight against the disease. It is one of the UK’s biggest and best-loved brain tumour research awareness and fundraising days.

This year, the charity’s Wear A Hat Day pin badges have a regal theme in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and several of the charity’s celebrity ambassadors are fronting the campaign, including TV personalities Danny Clarke and Sarah Beeny, actor and long-time supporter Dame Sheila Hancock DBE, and brain tumour survivor Caprice Bourret.

Community Development Manager Charlie Allsebrook said: “Craig’s story is a stark reminder of how indiscriminate brain tumours are, affecting anyone at any age and time.

“They kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

“We’re determined to change that and are grateful for Paul’s support of Wear a Hat Day. We would encourage others to follow his lead and get involved to help us raise vital funds for research.”

See more: Crawley Center Parcs: All you need to know, Thousands of Crawley students attend Safer Schools event, Crawley Growth Programme awards £1million construction contract as Manor Royal highway improvements scheme reaches second phaseTo support Paul’s fundraiser, visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paul-taylor-burr6