TV star Joel Dommett and model Hannah Cooper become Ambassadors for Bristol-based Brain Tumour Support
Brain Tumour Support are thrilled to announce that comedian and TV star Joel Dommett and his wife, model Hannah Cooper, are becoming Ambassadors for the charity.
This is the only UK charity dedicated to providing specialist, individualised support to patients and families who have been affected by any type of brain tumour.
Brain Tumour Support has grown from its Bristol base into a UK wide charity.
Joel and Hannah have raised funds for Brain Tumour Support on a number of occasions over the past two years, but it was when Hannah's mum was sadly diagnosed with a brain tumour in December 2020 that the impact of the charity’s work became very personal.
Hannah explained, “Knowing that Brain Tumour Support is there to guide and support has really helped to sustain us through some very difficult days. Until you’re faced with this experience it’s hard to comprehend just how much there is to take on board, for mum and for all the family, and the range of emotions you go through.”
March is UK Brain Tumour Awareness Month and the celebrity couple are eager to highlight the complex impact that brain tumours have on families, and the importance of being able to get the right support.
Joel said, "It really hits you for six, it’s incredibly tough, and if we’d had to deal with that just by ourselves I think it would have been a hundred times worse."
Every day in the UK around 45 people receive a brain tumour diagnosis.
Both Joel and Hannah have been shocked by the number of people affected by brain tumours each year, and the lack of funding and support available to help them through what can be a traumatic and isolating experience.
As Joel explained, “It was very surprising and out of the blue, and very scary. And Brain Tumour Support have been brilliant through it all, in terms of communications with the medical teams, helping us work through our emotions. It’s really important to have someone to talk to, and to understand that you’re not alone.”
Joel and Hannah are aiming to make more people aware that brain tumours are a condition which can affect anyone. With no known cause or means of prevention and with the profound and often long-lasting impact that a diagnosis can have on a whole family, they want to help Brain Tumour Support secure the funds it needs to reach more people in the future.
Their most recent fundraiser was the online raffle of two of Joel’s suits from the popular ITV show, The Masked Singer, organised to coincide with the final of the hit TV show in February.
Two lucky winners were picked from the 3,200 tickets sold, and the monies raised will fund support for more than 40 patients and their families. Announcing the result and thanking everyone who bought a ticket, Joel said, “I just hope it makes it easier for a few more people going through brain tumour treatment in the future. Brain Tumour Support really means something extra special for us now that we’ve seen what a difference that support has made to our family.”
Tina Mitchell Skinner
Tina Mitchell Skinner, CEO and Founder of Brain Tumour Support, said, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Joel and Hannah as Brain Tumour Support Ambassadors, and we particularly appreciate their commitment through such an anxious time for Hannah and all her family.”
And, talking about Brain Tumour Awareness Month, Tina explained, “Throughout March we have a particular opportunity to increase understanding of the devastation that brain tumours cause and the urgent need to reach the many people who currently lack support.
“However, for us, that effort has to continue every day of the year, because every day there are around 45 people in the UK receiving a brain tumour diagnosis and not knowing who to turn to. So we are incredibly grateful for everything that Joel and Hannah have already done in raising both funds and awareness for our work, and we look forward to working with them alongside our many loyal supporters.”
Video message from Joel and Hannah
Joel and Hannah have recorded a video message, being released via their social media and on Brain Tumour Support’s website, for more people to become aware of the charity’s work. See their message here on the Brain Tumour Support website
