Alvechurch charity campaigner nominated for Queen's Baton Relay by Brain Tumour Research - The Redditch Standard

Alvechurch charity campaigner nominated for Queen's Baton Relay by Brain Tumour Research

Redditch Editorial 21st Jul, 2022 Updated: 21st Jul, 2022   0

A DEDICATED charity campaigner will take part in the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay after being nominated by Brain Tumour Research.

Penny Church, from Alvechurch, will carry the baton along Sycamore Road in Birmingham at 10.59am on Wednesday, July 27, as part of its 90,000-mile journey across the Commonwealth.

She was nominated by the charity after raising more than £181,000 to date, helping fund vital research into the disease.

Her son Finlay died of a brain tumour in November 2015, when he was just 11.




Since his death, Penny and her family have worked tirelessly alongside Brain Tumour Research, campaigning for more money to fund research to find a cure and better treatment for people diagnosed with the disease.

Penny said: “When I received the email to confirm I had been selected I was absolutely speechless.


“It’s very exciting and I’m very humbled by it all, particularly with it being in Birmingham and so close to home.

“Fin loved all kind of sport and I know he would have loved to be part of something like this.

“I feel like this is a way of honouring his legacy and as I carry the baton I’ll be thinking of him.”

Penny added she loved the fact her friend Katie Smith was joining her as a baton bearer, having also been nominated for her work with Brain Tumour Research.

“I was at her house just before the anniversary of Fin’s death when her uniform arrived.

“We all feel very grateful to have this opportunity.”

In June, Penny and her husband Wayne, 51, hosted a picnic in the park fund-raiser to coincide with The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, encouraging friends and family members to ‘buy him a drink’ on what would have been Fin’s 18th birthday.

Penny added: “My family are very excited to be able to cheer me on.

“We were lucky enough to get tickets to the cricket as part of the games and being a baton bearer will make watching the match even more special.”

Brain tumours kill more children than leukaemia but just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to research into them.

People are encouraged to cheer Penny on as she carries the baton during its final leg of its journey before the opening ceremony on Thursday, July 28.

Mel Tiley, Brain Tumour Research’s community development manager, said: “Penny has worked with us tirelessly over the years to not only help raise awareness of brain tumours but also to fund-raise an incredible amount alongside working full-time.”

She added her dedication in helping the charity find a cure was very deserving of a baton bearing nomination and she was delighted Penny had been chosen.

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