Pictured: Rob Hughes at The Joseph Foote Trust

Efforts by a Solihull charity to raise survival rates for brain tumour victims have been given a major boost by a dynamic young graduate. 

Rob Hughes, 21, has been appointed Marketing Executive by The Joseph Foote Trust  to help it raise £1 million a year to fund research into cracking the brain tumour DNA code.

The former Solihull Sixth Form College student, who lives in Dorridge, headed an annual charity event in 2010 in his final year of studying for a Geography degree at Sheffield University that raised £85,000 for local, national and international charities.

The achievement, which represented a 22.4 per cent increase on the previous year's figure, resulted in Rob being selected to make a presentation to HM The Queen.  

As chairman of Bummit, he worked with a committee of 13 in the marketing of the event which involved students being sponsored to hitch hike across Europe. 

In his new role with The Joseph Foote Trust, Rob will be helping to raise awareness of brain tumours and urging as many people as possible to donate and volunteer their services to fund research into a disease that kills more children than any other cancer.

The Joseph Foote Trust was formed in 2001 by Andy and Judy Foote after their son Joseph was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of two and a half. It claimed his life seven years later.

Rob Hughes said: "I am delighted to have joined The Joseph Foote Trust and am looking forward to doing all I can to help raise funds to improve brain tumour survival rates from less that 15% to more than 80% over the next 15 years."

Before going to university, Rob worked in Dorridge as a volunteer assistant at the Michael Blanning Care Home and a kitchen porter at the Forest Hotel. He is a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award holder.