Two brain tumour charities have said they will merge in a bid to better meet the needs of those diagnosed and living with the condition.
In a statement released today, the Brain Tumour Charity and Meningioma UK said that “there are a multitude of brain tumour charities and the more we come together the more we will be able to meet the needs of those living and dying of this brutal disease”.
The charities announced plans to merge the activities of Meningioma UK into the Brain Tumour Charity, with a view to improving services and outcomes for those affected by brain tumours, once the move has received official approval from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
Sarah Lindsell, chief executive of the Brain Tumour Charity, will lead the merged charity, with Ella Pybus, founder and chief executive of Meningioma UK, retiring.
The Brain Tumour Charity has 120 members of staff and had an income of about £11.5m last year. Meningioma UK is predominantly volunteer-led.
There will be no job cuts and no staff will be made redundant in the move, a spokeswoman told Third Sector. There will be no changes to the current board or structure of the Brain Tumour Charity.
This is the Brain Tumour Charity’s second merger in seven years. The organisation is the product of a merger between the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, the Joseph Foote Trust and Brain Tumour UK.
Pybus, who founded Meningioma UK in 1998 with the late Dr Caroline Rutgers, both of whom had been diagnosed with a meningioma, said: “Our community was always at the heart of this decision. Together, with unified resource and vision, we will be able to support more of, and do more for, the thousands of families whose lives are shattered by a meningioma diagnosis.”
Lindsell said that “as more charities than ever face an uncertain future in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the need to unite in order to better serve our communities is clear”.
She said: “Joining forces will enable us to work more effectively for everyone affected by a meningioma and to accelerate progress towards the cure that is needed so urgently for everyone whose life has been changed by a brain tumour diagnosis.
“I hope this decision paves the way for further steps towards uniting more of the charities striving towards that vital goal.”