Fund set up in memory of Duncan McLean tops £100,000 mark

Duncan McLean died from a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumour in February 2016 – just three days after he was admitted to hospital with severe headaches.

Since then, his family and friends have tried to raise awareness and money for The Duncan McLean Fund.

Since establishing the fund, the family have led an increasingly popular surge of fundraising activities throughout Gullane and wider East Lothian, with the £100,000 mark now being passed.

Dad Iain (pictured below), who is also part of The Brain Tumour Charity’s Scottish steering committee that advocates for change for everyone affected, was delighted with everybody’s efforts.

He said: “We didn’t set out thinking ‘let’s raise £100,000 or £50,000 or something’ – it just snowballed through the incredible support over the past five years.

“What’s been amazing is that people keep giving.

“We didn’t have any awareness of brain tumours because it was only three weeks with what started as headaches for Duncan, so we had no knowledge about their impact at that stage.

“A friend of mine, Dr Robin Grant, a neurology consultant at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, recommended supporting The Brain Tumour Charity and their early diagnosis work.

“Things took off from there.

“Duncan’s pals have done lots of different things over the five years now.

“It kicked off with a huge golf challenge in July 2016, where a group of his pals played 72 holes in one day and that raised about £20k.

“Some of his uni pals did things like the Three Peaks Challenge and we held a ‘Run for Duncan’ in December 2019.

“We thought a few people would come along, maybe about 10 or 20, and in the end over 400 people in the village came out to support – the whole community.”

A former Gullane Primary School and Musselburgh’s Loretto School pupil, Duncan went on to study maths at Bristol University.

He was also a member of North Berwick RFC and represented the 1st XV just weeks before his death.

His dad Iain has now set himself the huge target of running the equivalent of John O’Groats to Land’s End from October 2020 until his entry into next year’s London Marathon in October 2021 for The Brain Tumour Charity.

Iain, who works as a solicitor, will run the marathon with daughter Annabel, now an FY1 doctor in the frontline at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

The McLean family, including mum Margaret and sisters Annabel and Libby, are supporting the virtual run

He said: “I’ve not done a marathon before so my theory is that if I manage to do this Land’s End to John O’Groats challenge, I won’t have to do much training for the actual marathon but that might be wishful thinking.

“I will though be much fitter and ready for it than I am now!

“And, of course, there’s the mental health benefits of exercise while we’re stuck at home during the pandemic.

“Since October 4, I’ve done over 370 miles and I schedule myself to do three runs a week.

“The pandemic has screwed up all the plans I had last year but committing to this virtually means I should be able to continue throughout the coming months and into the summer and achieve 874 miles in total!

“Working from home during the pandemic makes it easier to just get out there and fit it in around work, around lunchtimes.

“Where we live is next to the beach, the golf course, I can step out of the front door and I’m out there, so I can do different runs just from home. I’m fortunate to have all this on my doorstep.

“I’m 59 at the moment, I’ll be 60 by the time the marathon comes around, but then 60 is the new 40!

“It’s the continued feeling of support from the community and from Duncan’s pals, from the golf and rugby clubs, his uni pals – this is what keeps you going.”

On Sunday, the whole family, including mum Margaret and daughters Annabel and Libby, are supporting a virtual ‘Run for Duncan’, with friends and family holding runs and walks around the world.

As well as the family home in Gullane, virtual run events are taking place from Edinburgh to Orkney, from St Boswells to Spain and from North Berwick to New Zealand.

Alice Russell, The Brain Tumour Charity’s development manager for Scotland, said: “We remain so incredibly inspired by everything The Duncan McLean Fund has done for everyone affected by a brain tumour diagnosis.

“The tireless fundraising and awareness efforts of Iain and the family remain a beacon of support for so many and this is an outstanding sum of funds that will help to drive change.

“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of the under-40s and, unlike other cancers, survival rates have not improved over the last 40 years. We are leading the way in changing this and truly fighting brain tumours on all fronts through our work.”

To support the good cause, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/iain-mclean10