There are many excellent brain tumour charities and support groups in the UK but I have worked most closely with 3 in the south of England.
I was recently delighted to be invited to become a patron of Brainstrust, a charitable organisation dedicated to improving care for brain tumour sufferers and providing co-ordinated support in their search for treatment. The group was established when Meg Jones was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 19 and subsequently underwent successful surgery for this. They aim to support patients and their families, work with hospitals to secure care pathways for patients, campaign and advocate on behalf of the brain tumour community, fund technology for treatment (e.g. intra-operative MRI) and fund research that translates into clinical practice. Please visit their website and contact them for support and advice if necessary.
Hammer Out Brain Tumours was established in 2002 as a fund-raising and support group for patients mainly in the south and west of England. This group was introduced by Tina Mitchell after her husband Paul had sadly died of a brain tumour. I was involved in Paul’s care whilst I was working in Bristol and have maintained strong links with the group since that time. They have now introduced a new support group in the Southampton area.
Please visit their website and contact them for support and advice if necessary.
It was a pleasure to attend their annual conference for patients and carers of sufferers of brain tumours in Devon this year. I was given the opportunity to talk to the group on patient experiences with awake craniotomy and participate in a number of one-to-one sessions to answer questions for conference delegates.
After the tragic death of Richard Bowler from a brain haemorrhage in 2002 this fund-raising organisation was established to support the Wessex Neurological Centre and improve facilities for patients in the future. Smile4Rich has already funded an ambulance for WNC neuro-intensive care unit to improve the transfer of critically ill neurosurgical patients into and out of the department. More recently it has funded a new paediatric videotelemetry suite to allow detailed investigations of children suffering with severe epilepsy. Fund-raising for new equipment is underway. Please visit the website and donate if you can.