Pembrokeshire brain tumour charity, The Thorne Mason Trust, celebrated its official 10-year anniversary with a glittering black-tie event last month at the Beggars Reach Hotel in Burton, Milford Haven.

The event included a three-course dinner, silent auction, music from Westcoast Mobile Disco and live music from Renthouse Groove. With help from supporters, the evening raised a fantastic £5,500, which will be used to develop and enhance the charity’s brain tumour support services across the county.

During the night, the Thorne Mason Trust also presented a cheque for a further £10,000 to Brain Tumour Research, having previously donated £20,000, to sponsor PhD research student Catia Neto and support vital research into GBM brain tumours at Cardiff University.

Chair of the Trust, Jessie Ballard, said: “We are very happy that Sue Farrington Smith, chief executive of Brain Tumour Research, was able to attend the event and accept the cheque on behalf of Cardiff University. We are also very grateful to Vaughans of Haverfordwest, Essex Smart & Windscreens, Baywater Healthcare and Trinity St. Davids Netball team for sponsoring the event, as well as to numerous local businesses who generously donated to our silent auction. We would also like to thank By The Sea Flowers, for donating the beautiful table bouquets. We are all are extremely proud of what we have been able to achieve over the past 10 years and the event was a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate with our supporters and raise further awareness of brain tumours within the local community.”

The Thorne Mason Trust, based in Pembrokeshire and a member charity of the Brain Tumour Research charity, was set up by Mike Mason and his wife Debbie of Haverfordwest in 2008 after Mike was diagnosed, aged 53 with an incurable brain tumour. Sadly, Mike passed away in 2009, however, his family and friends have continued to run the charity providing complementary support to anyone in Pembrokeshire facing the effects of a brain tumour or cancer diagnosis, including patients, families and carers.

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically, just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

Sue Farrington Smith, chief executive of Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. Mike’s story reminds us that less than 20 per cent of those diagnosed with brain tumours survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50 per cent across all cancers. We cannot allow this situation to continue.”

For more information about the Thorne Mason Trust please contact Debbie Mason on 01437 766011, email [email protected] or visit www.thornemasontrust.com.

Pics. Susan McKehon