Life At The Charity
I'm Piers and I’m the Fundraising PR and Celebrity Manager here at The Charity!
Why I joined The Brain Tumour Charity
While in a previous life as a journalist working on magazines and broadcast outlets, our family life was turned upside down by my dad’s own brain tumour diagnosis. We didn’t know where to turn once the shock of this had settled (in as much as it ever can settle) but we had heard of one outstanding organisation…Cue a little more time and my previous experience rolled into an opening as a PR and Media Officer for The Brain Tumour Charity – I didn’t hesitate when offered the job and I've been here for nearly 9 years now!
Community-first thinking
It didn’t take long to become immersed in the most passionate, determined and supportive environment ever! With everyone working towards one goal and supported by a simply incredible community that has been and continue to go through, the most devastating of diseases.
A typical day as a PR and Celebrity Manager
No two days are ever the same. The team regularly have press requests putting pay to any to-do list plans. If we need to get our Director of Research up to Salford Keys to appear on BBC Breakfast, the emails can be flying around well into the night before.
Alongside those requests, we share the amazing stories of our supporters with the national (and international) media: anything from individual fundraisers, larger Charity-wide campaigns, awareness of our vital work, and of course celebrity engagement and support. That can vary from the likes of Nicki Chapman appearing on Celebrity Catchphrase, Tom Daley donating his knitting or comedian Hal Cruttenden trekking the Sahara for us – all determined to accelerate a cure.
That can then quickly shift to managing the day-to-day reputational issues that may crop up, securing media coverage and supporting all the varied Charity teams and their work.
My thoughts so far?
Above and beyond all this, I am privileged to work alongside a team that simply has the community at its heart, united in driving change for everyone affected by a brain tumour diagnosis.