Hats ‘fit for a Queen’ to be auctioned for charity founded near Buckingham

A charity founded by a Padbury woman is set to benefit from an online auction of designer hats inspired by the seven decades of The Queen’s reign.
By Hannah Richardson
Published 31st May 2022, 16:29 BST
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The collection of 15 pieces, entitled Hats Fit for a Queen, have been created by some of the UK’s leading milliners – including pieces by Royal milliners Stephen Jones OBE and Rachel Trevor-Morgan.

The hats are being auctioned in aid of Brain Tumour Research, a national charity, now based in Milton Keynes, that was founded by Padbury resident Sue Farrington Smith after her young niece sadly died from a brain tumour.

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The headgear will be on display in the Queen’s Stand at Epsom Downs Racecourse during The Cazoo Derby, which takes place during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations on June 3 and 4, when Her Majesty The Queen is expected to attend her 73rd Derby Day.

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A selection of the hats being modelled at Epsom. Picture: Brain Tumour ResearchA selection of the hats being modelled at Epsom. Picture: Brain Tumour Research
A selection of the hats being modelled at Epsom. Picture: Brain Tumour Research

The auction will be open for bids until midnight on June 12.

Carol Robertson, national events manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are proud and delighted to be involved in this project, which is a new collaboration between Brain Tumour Research, Go Epsom, the British Hat Guild and Epsom Downs Racecourse.

“The British Hat Guild’s generous contribution of these regal hats will raise crucial awareness and the online auction will help fund vital research as we work towards finding a cure for all types of brain tumour.”

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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.

Charity supporters Lisa Connell, Anne McEntee and Sally Godman at the Epsom Downs photoshoot. Picture: Brain Tumour ResearchCharity supporters Lisa Connell, Anne McEntee and Sally Godman at the Epsom Downs photoshoot. Picture: Brain Tumour Research
Charity supporters Lisa Connell, Anne McEntee and Sally Godman at the Epsom Downs photoshoot. Picture: Brain Tumour Research

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK.

It also campaigns for the government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.

The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia, and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.

You can find out more about the hat auction or place a bid here.

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