Sir Mick Jagger and Sting support school concert in memory of pupil

Musical legends including Sir Mick Jagger and Sting are among those supporting a fundraising concert in memory of a teenager who died after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Daniel Caplan died in December aged 17 after being diagnosed with a DIPG tumour, an aggressive form of tumour with no cure, in May last year.

His fellow pupils at Hutchesons’ Grammar School in Glasgow have organised an online concert covering chart hits from the 1980s to the present and hope to raise £500,000 for the Funding Neuro charity, which funds research into brain tumours and in particular DIPG tumours.

Sir Mick, Sting and other singers including Emeli Sande have lent their support to the Doing it for Daniel concert by recording video messages for the event, which will air online at 7pm on Thursday.

In his message, Sir Mick says: “Hi, it’s Mick Jagger here, I would like to wish everyone at Hutchesons’ all the best for your concert. I hope you enjoy the music, bye.”

Sting says: “I would like to introduce two of my songs being performed tonight, Fields Of Gold and Shape Of My Heart. Take it away.”

Daniel’s mother Alison described her son’s death as “absolutely shattering” and said she is surprised more progress has not been made in brain tumour research.

She told BBC Breakfast: “You’re literally told on the day of the news of the biopsy that your child will die, and they will probably die within months and there is no treatment plan available.

“To watch your child die in that way was absolutely shattering because as a mother you want to do everything you can for your children and I couldn’t save him.

“No-one could save him and I couldn’t believe that decades had gone by and so little progress had been made in the field of brain tumours.

“I’ve never actually met anyone as full of fun and life as Daniel, he wanted to do well in life, he loved music, he loved football, he loved socialising with his friends, he loved his dog Alfie, he just was a boy who was meant to be alive.”

In her message for the concert, Sande says: “It’s me Emeli Sande, I’m sending you lots of love and lots support for such a special important evening.”

Singer Fiona Meighan, 17, an S6 pupil, said: “Due to Covid restrictions we haven’t been able to hold the usual fundraising events in school. Charity and fundraising have always been a huge part of the ethos at Hutchesons’, but this year supporting Funding Neuro has been incredibly important for a huge number of us, because of Daniel.

“I was really excited to perform in the concert and to support such a worthwhile cause and I was blown away by the support we received from all the music artists, including Sting and Sir Mick Jagger.

“It gave us all a real boost and we hope their support will raise awareness of the need for more research into DIPG.”

Funding Neuro needs to raise £2.5 million for a treatment trial led by Professor Steven Gill for 18 children with DIPG tumours, £2 million of which has already been raised.

Broadcast students from the University of the West of Scotland filmed and edited the performances.

David Mulligan, chief executive of Funding Neuro, said 100% of the funds raised from the concert will be used to finance Prof Gill’s clinical trial.

Daniel’s parents are also in the process of setting up the Doing It For Daniel Foundation, which will offer gifts and holiday breaks to children diagnosed with cancer.

Tickets for the event can be bought at https://hutchesons.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/doing-it-for-daniel-concert or on the Funding Neuro page on the school website https://www.hutchesons.org/our-school/community/school-charities/funding-neuro/.