Karen Tilley died of a brain aneurysm in August 2024. This year, to commemorate her death, almost 50 motorcyclists took to Bristol streets raising £2,500 for Brain Research UK.
Meeting at Snack Attacks, a cafe in Patchway, just north of Bristol on Saturday 23rd August 2025, almost fifty motorbikes and their riders gathered to commence a fundraising memorial ride for Bristol native, Karen Tilley.
Karen, who passed away suddenly a year earlier aged sixty due to a ruptured brain aneurysm, is survived by her parents John and Pat, four children Amy, Daniel, Sam and Lucy, and husband of forty years, Adrian. Karen is described by her family as being their rock, “She was the glue that held everything together, the heartbeat of our family” says eldest daughter, Amy.
The motorbike ride was organised to both commemorate Karen and fundraise for Brain Research UK. Adrian rode upfront on a red, silver and black Royal Enfield in honour of Karen who’d previously said if she ever rode a motorbike, it would have been the very same colours, make and model. Amy, who also rode upfront alongside her dad, said “Mum never rode but always supported our love of bikes. She absolutely loved the red, silver and black Enfield”.
Karen's death left her family in shocked devastation when Adrian woke on 23rd August 2024 to realise she had passed away during her sleep. An aneurysm in Karen's brain had been discovered some years earlier but the rupture risk had been thought to be low. After her death, it was discovered that a second aneurysm, grown from the original, had ruptured.
The Tilley family collectively describe that time as the worst of their lives. Karen had exchanged messages with her family the night before via a group chat. There had been no warning signs that she was severely unwell. “She'd just returned from camping with my Dad the day before,” says Amy.
Riders stopped at several of Karen's favourite places during the charity ride, to remember her and take photographs. “Patchway was where she grew up, got her first job and where she met my Dad,” says Amy. Ride stops also included her childhood home and the church in which she married husband Adrian, below.
The family, including the couple's two sons, Sam and Daniel, their wives and children, along with Karen’s parents, friends and spectators, all gathered at Aretians RFC to welcome back riders. Rows of tearful cheerers could be seen on the pavement outside the rugby club armed with a sea of red flags embellished with “Karen's ride”, an emblem designed by Amy. Youngest daughter Lucy also handed out white butterflies on sticks and these were held high as bikers returned.
While full of emotion and heavy with the loss of Karen, the memorial was also a celebratory occasion with bikes of every colour lining the car park, which also held a BBQ and live music. Both daughters Amy and Lucy described the day as being exactly the kind of day their mum would have loved, saying “she lived for her family and gathering everyone together”.
Organised and overseen by Lucy were raffle and tombola stalls, ice cream and sweets as well as a bouncy castle and face painting. All of which helped drive donations with the current count raised for Brain Research UK totalling over £2,500! A fantastic achievement which is steeped in Karen's memory.
Karen is remembered for her devotion to her family, particularly her husband with whom she was happily married for more than four decades. Her children say she was both a mentor, mother and friend and was the epitome of devoted Nanna to her ten grandchildren.
Article by Steph Cullen
A brain aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel that develops when blood pressure pushes against a weak spot in the vessel wall. They are quite common – around 1 in 30 people unknowingly live with them. It is only when they rupture that they become fatal or life-changing; this usually happens without warning and causes a subarachnoid haemorrhage, a type of stroke.
We are funding research into subarachnoid haemorrhage as part of our focus on Brain and spinal cord injury, under which we fund research that advances understanding of how to repair the brain and spinal cord, to help people make the best recovery.
This includes research by Professor Stuart Allan at the University of Manchester, testing the effectiveness of different drugs in minimising brain damage after stroke. Read about Professor Allan’s research.
Professor Allan’s research – like all of our research - is made possible only by the incredible generosity of people like the Tilley family.
We are making real progress but each year we have to turn down many promising applications because we don’t have the funds to support them all. With more funds, we could do so much more.
There are many ways in which you can support our work – from taking part in a challenge event, to making a donation, nominating us for support from your company, or remembering us in your will.
Whatever you do, your support will help us to invest in more research to help people affected by neurological conditions to live better, longer. Thank you.
