Our Young Ambassadors
The two-year Young Ambassador Programme is for young adults aged 18-25, who have either been affected by their own brain tumour diagnosis, or that of a loved one.
Applications are now closed for 2024-2026 cohort
Role description: View
Applications close: January 26 2024
Online interview: February 2024
Induction: April 2024
Applications are now closed to the 2024-2026 programme. Please do have a look at our other volunteering opportunities and the Young Adult service.
“I’ve definitely made some friends for life…we share a bond, not only through our shared experiences, but also through the memories that we’ve created as Young Ambassadors. It’s been a truly special experience for me.”
Madi, current Young Ambassador
Here’s what you can expect:
- Be the voice of young adults and share their stories to raise awareness.
- Champion our major campaigns – Better Safe Than Tumour and BRIAN.
- Support events and fundraise to raise funds to move towards a cure faster
As well as supporting other teenagers and young adults affected by a brain tumour diagnosis, their ideas and input have been vital in shaping our Young Adult Service, and in developing our resources.
Our Young Ambassadors not only play an important role in our work, but they also gain the opportunity to learn and develop new skills, (such as public speaking or social media promotion). They are also able to meet and socialise with others their own age, who have been through similar experiences.
Any questions: email [email protected] and we will be happy to help.
Young Ambassadors through the years
See what the Young Ambassadors get up to
The Twilight walk is our biggest and most inspiring event of the year, where people from all across the brain tumour community come together to stride forward towards curing brain tumours. Our Young adult events are also a fantastic way to meet new people who understand what you’re going through.
The Young Ambassadors have opportunities to speak and share their experiences at an All Party Parliamentary Group about brain tumours, or to visit parliament, (for example, for one of our MP drop-in sessions).
Celebrating together at events such as the Young Adults Masquerade Ball, has proven to be a great way for young adults to make connections with others who have been through similar experiences.
Young Ambassador workshops provide an opportunity for the Young Ambassadors to gain a better insight into The Charity itself, to contribute ideas, and to learn new skills.
“Making new connections with people who have been through similar experiences has been a real highlight of becoming a Young Ambassador. I have definitely made some friends for life”- Madi, current Young Ambassador
“These amazing individuals are now my friends for life” Alice, current Young Ambassador
The Young Ambassadors help to raise awareness of The Charity, and of brain tumours, through the media. This includes making content for our social media, writing blogs, being interviewed, and creating podcasts and videos.
Young Ambassadors have been instrumental in driving our TikTok channel and creating fantastic content.
By sharing their stories, the Young Ambassadors not only spread awareness, but are also able to make connections within a community of people who have been through similar experiences.
The Young Ambassadors can support The Charity by attending fundraisers, or by organising their own.
The Young Ambassador Programme provides the chance for training in new skills, such as public speaking or content creation for social media.
“My time as a Young Ambassador has been the best decision I have ever made. I’ve met friends for life, my confidence has grown beyond words, and I am truly grateful for the incredible opportunities that I have been part of. I’ve found myself, and no longer have to hide my disability from anyone, or feel ashamed to have a disability. I am me, and it’s about time that I embrace everything that life throws at me. ” Lauren, current Young Ambassador
Meet our Young Ambassadors 2021
Alice
“I wanted to become a Young Ambassador in memory of my mum who died of a brain tumour – I’ve always wanted to do something in her honour and help other people who might have gone through similar.“
Alice
“I wanted to become an ambassador for The Brain Tumour Charity because I want to raise more awareness and give more support to those who are in need of comfort in a difficult time. Unfortunately, when my Grandad passed away from a glioblastoma in 2012, I didn’t receive much support being so young (not discovering this amazing Charity!) I really struggled dealing with grief and just needed someone to support me. I wouldn’t want anyone else to feel alone, the same way I did once I lost my grandad. Support, love and comfort is everything you need when you are on a journey like this – and that is what I would love to give to The Charity.“
Amy
“Losing my mum to a brain tumour, at such a young age, has been the hardest thing I have ever had to face. I want to be a Young Ambassador to help provide support to others who have been through or are going through something similar. I want to not only help raise awareness of brain tumours, but also help to raise awareness of the effects that it has on the loved ones. I felt that I lost my mum long before she passed, as her tumour changed her in many ways. I wish I had opened up more on how this affected me, so I would love to be a support to others going through this struggle.”
Anna
“Having lost my father to a brain tumour back in 2011, when I was just 13 years old, The Brain Tumour Charity is a cause that is incredibly close to my heart. I feel like I’m finally in a position where I want to share my story and turn a very sad situation into a positive one. I could think of no better way to do that than joining the Young Ambassador programme!”
Dhwani
“I wanted to become a Young Ambassador to spread awareness about the condition and about symptoms, to promote early diagnosis.”
Emma
“I wanted to become a Young Ambassador because my brother was recently diagnosed with a brain tumour, and I wanted to do something to make a difference for my family and my brother. I am hoping to make a change and to support The Charity.”
Emma
“After caring for my dad before he passed away I wanted to join a group of like-minded people who understood what I had been through. I also really want to help raise awareness and improve education surrounding brain tumours.”
Gemma
“I became a Young Ambassador as I am passionate about the work of The Brain Tumour Charity and wanted to be part of a community of young people making a positive difference by working towards the charity’s goals.
Before my Mum’s brain tumour diagnosis, I had no knowledge of brain tumours. I was shocked to learn the harrowing statistics that brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40, yet less than 3% of the UK’s spend on cancer research is spent on brain tumours. I am therefore motivated to raise awareness, support those going through and affected by a diagnosis, and campaign to fight for a cure. Representing The Brain Tumour Charity feels the perfect way to honour my Mum’s memory.”
Jazz
“Having been given a diagnosis I have felt the immense strain it created for me and my family. I can barely begin to imagine how I might have reacted if my diagnosis had been worse. These experiences linked me with the remarkable work of the Brain Tumour Charity.
Being diagnosed with a brain tumour can be terrifying. However, having experienced the support the Brain Tumour Charity have to offer, I want to help them make a difference to others’ lives in my role as a Young Ambassador.”
Jeremy
“When my Dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour in November 2017 it turned my life completely upside down. Seeing him suddenly rapidly deteriorate just felt so cruel and unfair. After he devastatingly passed away, I undertook an eight week fundraising challenge where I cycled around Britain in search of the best breakfast this nation has to offer. There was something really special about cycling from town to town up and down country sharing experiences with others who have lost loved ones to Brain Tumours. In the end the ‘Tour de Full English’ raised over £36,000! After getting a taste of what it was like working with the Brain Tumour Charity, I really wanted to give the application process a go. The charity does such incredible work in fundraising for a cure and I’d love to do all I can to be part of it!”
Kajal
“My Dad unfortunately lost his 18-month battle with a grade 4 Glioblastoma last July. I witnessed first-hand just how debilitating this illness was for Dad, but in many ways, it was just as debilitating for my Mum, sisters and I too. Whilst it would be far too easy for me to dwell in bitterness, frustration and disappointment, I know that my Dad would not want this for me. Being a Young Ambassador means that I’m able to direct my energy into something positive whilst keeping the memory of the greatest man I’ve ever known alive.”
Kate
“I wanted to become a Young Ambassador because I would like to become more confident in myself and also become more confident talking about my tumour and how it affects me. I would like to help The Charity as it has helped me so much. I would also like to campaign for better and faster treatment for people with low grade tumours like mine.”
Lauren
“I became a Young Ambassador because I am so passionate to want to make a positive change to an individual’s life who has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. All individuals deal with the symptoms and side effects of a Brain Tumour differently, but everyone deserves to have support around them to talk to or to take comfort from being around someone who understands what they are going through.
Being diagnosed with a brain tumour is scary and can be physically and emotionally draining. I feel very fortunate to have been given a second chance at life as a survivor of a brain tumour and now want to make a difference to help others by being a kind, friendly and caring face to a growing support network.”
Madelaine
“Becoming a Young Ambassador offers me the invaluable opportunity to have direct involvement with a cause so personal and important to me. Connecting with people who share similar experiences and passions creates a community of mutual support and motivation that I can’t wait to be a part of.
With my mum being diagnosed with a brain tumour and epilepsy when I was just 6 months old, I know the effects such an illness can have on a family. Due to this, I have a huge appreciation for the work The Brain Tumour Charity undertakes, and look forward to the chance to get more involved in their life changing work.”
Madi
“When my dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour, I didn’t realise the amount of support and opportunities that were available to me. I’d like to be able to share information and fundraise to make a difference, to carry on my dad’s legacy.”
Olivia
“I wanted to become a Young Ambassador because I think it is really important to help other people who are going through or have been through a similar situation. As it is not an easy experience, I would love to just be someone who listens and understands those who feel lost or as if they are alone in their situation.”
Rebecca
“I’m excited to become a Young Ambassador to support other young people who are affected by brain tumours. The research and support available now, compared to when I had my treatment ten years ago, is phenomenal, and I’m really looking forward to engaging with other young people going through similar experiences. I’m excited to get involved in lots of fundraising and awareness events and help raise the profile of research into brain tumours.”
Rhudi
“I became a Young Ambassador to be there for people and their loved ones who have been impacted by a brain tumour, as well as to help raise awareness for brain tumours (especially in the UK) because I know it is a problem, through personal experience. I believe my story has the potential to make an impact and I would like to get involved in campaigns that involve speaking to policy makers and the media about how to tackle brain tumour awareness and diagnosis.”
Sophie
“I became a Young Ambassador as I want to make change, would like to make new friends and try to help improve research for brain tumours.”
Victoria
“My dad passed away from a secondary brain tumour three years ago. My life completely flipped upside down and I didn’t receive any support from my university. I couldn’t think of a future without my dad. Between supporting my mum and brothers, moving university, selling our family home, studying, worrying about finances, working a part-time job and missing my dad, I struggled to face how I was feeling.
I began writing articles and speaking at events about my experience of grief and brain tumours and campaigning to increase mental health support for people in further education. Sharing my story enabled me to sort through my thoughts, motivations and feelings to begin to come to terms with dad’s passing whilst figuring out how to feel happy again. I want to try and support others who are going through similar experiences and share how I view life now: I feel lucky to have every day I do with the people I love and I’d like to do all I can to do a bit of good in the world to make someone else’s experience slightly less lonely.
Before my dad’s diagnosis, I didn’t know about the stats and figures surrounding brain tumours. I want to raise awareness of the impacts on patients and their families and pioneer for an increase in research into brain tumours.”
FAQs
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Of course! We also welcome young adults who have been affected by a close family member’s diagnosis to share their experiences as a Young Ambassador.
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As a Young Ambassador, your job is to advocate on behalf of The Charity and create change around the issues that are important to you. This could be getting involved with our campaigning and policy work, raising awareness on social media, or meeting others at events. You’ll be asked to volunteer at Young Adult Events and Family Days, which are fun days out for other members of our community.
Some of the other ways you can support our work is by helping us develop resources for our community, giving your feedback on important issues, and supporting the staff team in their work – like going along to a bid for charity of the year at a local business.
You’ll have the chance to take on your own fundraising challenges if you want to, as well as supporting other local fundraisers with their events and attend cheque collections on behalf of The Charity. You can also share your story and help promote the work of The Charity – like being an advocate for our health information database (called BRIAN.)
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Yes! You’ll receive a charity induction so you’re in the know about all things The Brain Tumour Charity, and meet some of the staff you’ll be working closely with. We will also deliver relevant training sessions to help you develop new skills over the next two years, supporting you to feel confident in different situations. Some of the training we’ve held previously includes; public speaking, handling difficult conversations and digital skills.
We also offer other useful training through skills workshops.
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There is a minimum requirement of some charity events throughout the two years, including the training sessions, but everything else is up to you to manage.
We hold monthly meetings for an hour we’d really encourage you to attend as much as possible. These are a great chance to check in with your fellow young ambassadors and hear about upcoming opportunities. This is roughly 3 hours per month.
There are lots of things you can do to help The Charity that won’t take much time at all – like completing surveys, or recording a thank you video to a corporate partner or fundraiser.
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You’ll be invited to two training sessions a year which it’s important you attend – these are the best chance to meet with the other Young Ambassadors socially, as well as receiving training and updates from The Charity. You’ll also have the opportunity to attend other charity lead events which your fellow Young Ambassadors may also attend. Eg. Twilight Walk
There are monthly virtual meet ups to discuss how you are getting on, receive updates from the organisation and know the upcoming opportunities. These are followed up with a monthly email.
Finally we have our Volunteering system Volunteero, which is an app to share opportunities with you quickly and easily as soon as they become available. You’ll also share a group chat here to keep in touch with each other.
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Absolutely. We don’t want there to be anything stopping you from attending an event or training session, and want you to get the most out of it. If you need someone there to support you it’s fine for them to join you. We will have a chat about what this looks like and if there is anything we can do to help you either independently or with another person.
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We want the role to be accessible to all and are able to support with travel arrangements if you do suffer from travel anxiety. This would involve us supporting booking your travel, showing you how to arrange travel assistance if needed and ensuring you are comfortable with your route beforehand. We will also try to link you with other Young Ambassadors who travel in a similar direction for support.
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We don’t want this to be a barrier to you volunteering and do not expect you to pay for expenses occurred when supporting the charity. We cover travel expenses, hotel expense if needed and a food budget for the day. Read more at our expenses policy.
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Being a Young Ambassador is a two year role, and at the end of this two years you’ll be offered the chance to be a Young Ambassador Champion to the next group of Ambassadors. The Champion role lasts for one year. After this, or if you chose not to become a Champion, you can still be involved in our work through various volunteering and campaigning opportunities through our Involvement network. Alternatively you can volunteer within your community with our Community Fundraisers support.
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You can apply by completing the online application form through volunteero. You’ll also need to record a short video telling us a little bit about yourself and why you’d like to be a Young Ambassador.
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The largest video size that can be uploaded through volunteero is 5MB. If your video is bigger than this please use Wetransfer and email [email protected].
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If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Involvement team.
Involvement team – [email protected]
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“This has been such a lifechanging journey for me. Personally, I never got the chance to grieve, being so young when my Grandad passed. I was able to finally let out my emotions, and share a room with people who knew exactly how I felt. These amazing individuals are now my friends for life” Alice, current Young Ambassador