Lighting up Hoddesdon for a good cause

Wednesday 4th March 9pm

Hoddesdon clock tower lit up to support brain tumour research

If you visit Hoddesdon town centre in the evenings this month you will notice that our historic clocktower is lit up in different colours to usual – pink and yellow.

This is to mark Brain Tumour Awareness Month and has come about due to the request of a Hoddesdon family who approached Love Hoddesdon BID and Broxbourne Council with the idea.

Cathy Marriott’s brother Andy Jones was born in Hoddesdon, took part in cubs, scouts and venture scouts and in the town’s carnival. He also served in Hertford Territorial Army and was a military fitness trainer and mountain guide, running an outdoor fitness and adventure company for 15 years. In 2023, out of the blue, Andy was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma, which is a highly aggressive, grade 4 malignant brain tumour, at the age of 57.

His symptoms soon stopped Andy being able to do what he loved but, while undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, he nonetheless raised £17,500 for local charity Teens Unite by completing a Virtual Three Peaks Challenge climbing his own staircase at home. He then went on to raise a further £8,308 (830% of his original £1,000 target) for Brain Tumour Research through a virtual Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle challenge, riding a static bicycle while in a hospice. Sadly, Andy died in January 2024.

When Cathy approached Love Hoddesdon BID and Broxbourne Council with the idea of joining the charity’s Light Up The UK campaign, we were delighted to help.

Love Hoddesdon BID Manager Aaron Gransby said: “We were all touched by Andy’s story and were only too pleased to be able to help highlight this truly worthwhile campaign. We would like to thank Cllr Steve Wortley and council officers for their help in making this happen as well.”

On the evening of Tuesday 3rd March, Cathy surprised her and Andy’s Mum, who still lives in Hoddesdon at the age of 91, with a trip to the clock tower to see the lighting in place.

Can you help?

One in three people knows someone affected by a brain tumour and brain tumours kill more children, and adults under the age of 40, than any other cancer.

Yet despite that, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this disease since records started being recorded in 2002.

The Light Up The UK campaign, marking Brain Tumour Awareness Month, is intended to shine a light on this fact, and to support vital research into brain tumours and their treatment.

You can find out more at www.braintumourresearch.org, where you can also make a donation should you be able to do so.