Daft as a Brush cancer charity founder Brian Burnie to retire on 80th birthday

The head of a North East cancer charity which provides free transport for patients to and from hospital is stepping down.

Brian Burnie set up Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care in 2010 after selling his Northumberland home Doxford Hall.

General manager and charity trustee Alan Butler will take over the day to day running of the charity on Mr Burnie's 80th birthday in June. He will continue to be a charity trustee.

Mr Burnie said: "I feel the time is right to let the team take control and expand our services to help even more cancer patients.

"When I announced my retirement, the staff were as sympathetic and sarcastic as ever, one of the team said I would only leave the building in a wooden box. I don't think they quite believed it."

In 1989, Mr Burnie helped organise the world's largest children's party on the Town Moor in Newcastle which funded a doctor at the Children's Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital.

He also holds the Guinness World Record for the most servings of fish and chips on VJ day and set up the Annual VJ Memorial Walk from Newcastle to Sunderland.

In 2018, Mr Burnie walked 7,000 miles around the coast of Great Britain and Ireland to promote the charity.

Mr Burnie, who has Parkinson's Disease, will officially announce his retirement at the charity's Last Night of the Proms concert on 21 October at Newcastle City Hall.

Incoming boss Mr Butler added: "Definitely big shoes to fill. I feel honoured to be asked to take the charity forward, but longer term, no single person will stand as leader.

"It's the team that makes the charity so successful by working together. The exceptional 400+ volunteers are the backbone to the organisation, so I want everyone to have a voice with clear and effective communications."

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