Our Work

Supporting the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission

Following her diagnosis with a grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumour in 2017, Tessa focused on raising awareness of brain cancer and the shocking inequalities and lack of innovation that she found within current cancer services.  Alongside her daughter Jess Mills, Tessa demonstrated her usual unwavering commitment to strive for excellence and greater health equality which had spanned her professional life. By bringing people together she was able to achieve so much in her final months including the creation of the national, independent convening body, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission.

The outpouring of love and respect shown for Tessa during her illness and following her death has directly led to the creation of the Tessa Jowell Foundation. The Foundation is the vehicle for Tessa’s family and the communities that she worked so hard to advocate for, to continue her great work and make sure that mission-led change projects inspired by her legacies will make a positive difference in the world for many years to come.

Our current sole charitable ‘Mission’ is to ensure that every person diagnosed with brain cancer in the UK can choose to access consistently excellent, specialist brain cancer services by funding key Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission projects.

Read more below in our first Impact Report detailing how the TJF has enabled and impacted the work of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission. 

Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM)

Created following Tessa’s call for action to improve brain cancer treatment, research and survival. The Mission consists of leading academics, doctors, cancer charities and patients collaborating to deliver a new national strategy for brain cancer and to make the desperately needed changes in brain cancer treatment and research.

The TJBCM is delivering initiatives including:

  • Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence for adults

  • Tessa Jowell Academy

  • Tessa Jowell BRAIN MATRIX clinical trial

  • Tessa Jowell Fellowship training programme

  • Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence for children

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Mission’s Partners

The TJF is one of 12 core partner organisations that make up the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission. The core partners also work with 95+ members that together deliver the incredible projects of the TJBCM across the UK.

Our FounderCEO Jess Mills is also on the Mission’s Executive Board, alongside TJBCM Chair, Professor Richard Gilbertson and TJBCM CEO, Nicky Huskens.

Below is a list of our fellow core Mission Partners:

In alphabetical order:

  • ACT for Cancer

  • Brain Tumour Charity

  • Brain Tumour Research

  • Brain Tumour Support

  • Brainstrust

  • Cancer Research UK

  • Children with Cancer UK

  • Minderoo Foundation

  • National Cancer Research Institute

  • National Insitute for Health Research

  • NHS England

  • University of Cambridge

Tessa Jowell Foundation Staff team

Jess Mills
Founder CEO

Racheal Bird
Head of Fundraising & Development

Joanne Caffrey Head of Finance & Governance

Frances Whittaker Fundraising Executive

Alex Savage Senior Communications Advisor

TJF Board of Members

 

Governors:

David Mills and Jessica Mond

Members and Member Groups:

  • TJF Grant Decision committee: David Mills, Dr. Joanne Lewis, Susan Beesley, Chantie Smits

  • TJF Advisory Board:

    Sir William Lewis, Elisabeth Murdoch, Alastair Campbell, Brent Hoberman CBE, Dr. Mahamed Hashi, Lord Allen of Kensington CBE, Kate Ward, Sir Keith Mills GBE DL, Lord James O'Shaughnessy, Mete Coban MBE, Dr. Miranda Brawn