There are over sixty thousand people living in the UK with a brain tumour. Thirty more cases get diagnosed every day meaning that this is an extremely common condition which can have varying symptoms. There are several different kinds of brain tumour that people can be diagnosed with. This can range from the most lethal brain tumour which is known as glioblastoma to the long term complications that come with a meningioma. Once a person has been diagnosed with a brain tumour, their lives and the lives of those around them will never be the same again as they will have to have regular check ups and scans to check on how the tumour is developing.

In October every year, Brainstrust holds it’s annual “Wear Grey” initiative where people are encouraged to wear grey for a day to raise awareness of brain tumours and the difficulties that people suffering from brain tumours can experience. The initiative was first introduced back in 2012 and has evolved to become an annual event which takes place every October.

“We wear grey thanks to Shaun Skinner, who approached brainstrust back in 2012 to help him bring an idea to life. ‘Go Grey for a day’ existed in the US, but Shaun had recognised a strong desire in the UK community to raise awareness of brain tumours, ‘the forgotten cancer’, this side of the Atlantic. It made sense to join the two events up, and with the US event in October, Wear Grey was born. Sadly, Shaun Skinner died from his brain tumour in January 2017, but along with his passion for helping others, Wear Grey is part of his incredible legacy.”

That’s according to Will Jones, Chief Executive of Brainstrust when he explained how the “Wear Grey” initiative all began.

For over a year, people in the UK have been living under lock down restrictions during the Covid 19 pandemic. Now that society is beginning to open again, people are becoming less and less isolated as they are regaining their freedoms to be able to go out and do what they did before the pandemic struck. For people with brain tumours, things can’t go back to normal as they will be living with condition or the aftermath of having surgery or treatment for the rest of their lives.

Eve Flynn, Communications Manager at brainstrust¸ tells us more: “A lack of understanding about brain tumours, their impact and the reality of living with the disease mean that isolation is something that many patients feel – regardless of whether the shops and pubs are open or not. This, coupled with the tremendous impact of side-effects such as fatigue, is the reality for many people with a brain tumour who don’t have access to support.

So throughout the pandemic and into the future, we will continue working round-the-clock to keep our support going. We’re there for people when things are scariest, and we’ll be here every step of the way on their journey. Making sure they can have their best possible day, whatever that looks like for them. Through our coaching, workshops and resources, we are tackling isolation and building communities for people with a brain tumour.”

Aged 25, Nicola from London discovered she had a brain tumour following a seizure. “I met a friend for coffee and the next thing I knew I lost my speech and then blacked out, what I now know was a seizure. It all came as such a shock. I didn’t know much about brain tumours, I hadn’t had any headaches or migraines and then to discover I had a brain tumour was so traumatic.”

The charity’s Fundraising Manager, Julia Smith, said “every day, we hear harrowing stories about personality change, debilitating fatigue, memory loss, fear between scans and the isolation people

feel following such a devastating diagnosis. That’s why Wear Grey is so important, to give visibility to this invisible illness and raise vital funds to support people with a brain tumour.”

How to get involved

To join brainstrust on their mission, follow three simple steps:

BUY GREY – get yourself some Wear Grey merch, choosing from tees, beanies, face masks and more in the brainstrust online shop (https://shop.brainstrust.org.uk/)

WEAR GREY – on 1st October, wear your grey gear proudly to show your support for the brain tumour community.

SHARE GREY – share a photo of you in your grey gear with #weargrey and send a donation to help people with a brain tumour.